


The dream is still alive

by Bobo_is_tha_Bomb



Series: Ever After series [4]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Lemon, Lime, Reader-Insert, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2020-04-07 20:52:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 79,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19092916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb/pseuds/Bobo_is_tha_Bomb
Summary: Three years ago, your feelings for him had cost you your job at Preventer. On top of that you gained his contempt. When an old enemy you helped putting behind bars escapes prison, your paths cross again. Forced under his protection, your old feelings for him resurface but you are determined not to get hurt again. But the spark is back, and there are no rules and regulations to hold you back this time. And maybe, just maybe, he might be willing to give in as well. WufeixReader





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I figured I’d start posting this story as well. It’s already completed, so you can expect the updates to be frequent. Enjoy! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you

**The dream is still alive  
Part 1**

_ESUN Headquarters, Brussels, AC 205_

There were absolute pros to this job, you convinced yourself as you slipped into your pumps behind the ugly statue that was supposed to resemble some sort of human shape. You grabbed the ballerinas you had worn during your trip to work from the floor and stuffed them in the plastic bag you carried with you.

You emerged from behind the statue, sneered at its ugly shape, and headed towards the elevators. Absolute pros, you told yourself again. Better salary, getting to look immaculate is sexy business suits, getting to look pretty. There was just none of the action you craved.

You arrived at your destined floor and headed to your desk first. While your computer booted up, you made your way to the coffee room to get yourself a nice, big cup of cappuccino. While you were at it, you prepared tea and regular black coffee as well and arranged it on a tray. As you made your way to your boss’s office, you passed the desk of her security guard. He was already typing away furiously at his laptop.

Without breaking your stride, you put the cup of coffee down on his desk, before walking into Relena’s office.

“Good morning!” you greeted her.

She was on the phone already, a pen clenched between her teeth as she opened the drawer of her desk with her free hand while humming her agreement to whoever she was speaking to. Incredibly efficient at multitasking she was, you thought with a smile as you put the cup of tea down in front of her.

She gestured at the folders that were spread out on her desk in front of her and you hurried to take them with you on your way out. You made your way to your desk, putting a little more sway to your hips as you did, and had the satisfaction to see Heero Yuy glancing at you from the corner of his eyes as you sat down.

You had been playing around with the thought of sleeping with him on multiple occasions. The only thing stopping you was the obvious affection that Relena felt towards him. Heero seemed aloof to her feelings, but he did seem to notice your flirting. This morning his gaze had definitely been drawn to your ass as you had walked past him. You hid your smug little smile behind the rim of your cup as you sipped your coffee. 

You checked your email, accepted Relena’s invite for a meeting to discuss security matters for the colony tour that was supposed to kick off in a week, and then went to sort the folders you had taken from her desk. You worked through the notes she had written down, printed out several new versions of the documents and made sure they were enclosed in the folders for her next round of reviewing them.

All mundane tasks for someone with your skill set, you thought with just the tiny hint of bitterness that always crept up in you when you remembered. But it was exactly your skill set that had landed you the job as Relena Dorlian’s personal assistant. Preventer was satisfied to know that you could protect her if necessary. While you might no longer wear a badge, you still had a permit to carry a weapon. 

But it still sucked. 

At nine thirty, Relena emerged from her office. Heero got up, and so you did as well. Your meeting would take place in one of the rooms down the hallway. Usually, when matters regarding Relena’s safety were discussed, a whole team of Preventer agents would be present. You steeled yourself for the moment you had to walk into the meeting room.

You mentally prepared for the speculating stares, the humility of knowing it could have been you wearing the uniform instead of the prim business suit. The knowledge left a bitter taste in your mouth. It had been your own fault.

You walked into the room, expecting the usual team to have gathered, and froze as you came face to face with your former commander herself. And, good lord… the fates had to be extra cruel to you today, as Wufei Chang stepped into view behind Commander Une. 

You weren’t prepared for the violent turmoil of emotions that assaulted you at the sight of him. Anger, shock, regret, it all mixed together and formed a stone in your stomach. He looked good; for such an asshole. His hair was longer than you remembered, and he now carried it in a loose bun at the back of his head. It made him appear less severe and less stern than the tight ponytail had done. His skin was tanned and his gaze as sharp as ever. 

No longer a Preventer, you weren’t required to salute Commander Une, but you did so anyway. You carried a deep ingrained respect for the woman that led the Preventer agency. After all, she had gotten you your current job. 

“Ma’am.” You greeted her politely.

“Miss, -L/N-,” she greeted you back. Her tone was business like, but her eyes were warm. “It is good to see you again.”

You gave her a smile and nodded, before directing a cool, calculated look at the Agent standing behind her. “Agent Chang.”

He merely grunted in response and sat down in his chair. 

“Well,” Commander Une spoke up while seating herself as well. “The reason we are gathered here is not to discuss Foreign Minister Dorlian’s safety during the Colony tour. I trust that is all taken care of.”

A frown formed on your face as you looked up from the notepad in front of you. Commander Une was looking at you.

“Gabriel Devlin escaped from prison three days ago,” she said.

You felt the color drain from your face. “How is that possible?”

“He bought the guards loyalty, hatched a successful escape plan and has been missing ever since,” Wufei said, his tone gruff. “The only thing we know is that he is planning to seek revenge. The prison is buzzing with the rumors. He wants those that put him in prison to suffer.”

You swallowed thickly and gazed at Commander Une. “So I am a target?”

“It is likely that he will come after you,” Une said. “You were a key figure in his imprisonment.”

“Okay, so I’ll be more careful,” you said, while leaning back in your seat. “I’ll take my car to go to work and will carry my gun on me at all times.”

“That won’t be enough,” Wufei said, and you fought the urge to scowl at him. “It will be easy for him to track you down. As the Foreign Minister’s personal assistant you attract a lot of attention and you make yourself an easy target being out in the open like that.”

“I can defend myself,” you snapped.

“We do not doubt your skill set, Miss —L/N-,” Une assured you. “But you have been out of duty for three years and we would just like to take a few precautions.”

You felt rage beginning to simmer. You kept a tight rein on your temper, not willing to show how humiliated you felt. 

“Agent Chang will become your personal bodyguard until we’re sure Devlin is behind bars again.”

The words were out before you could stop them. “Oh, hell no!”

You were up in an instant, glaring daggers at the Chinese man sitting across from you. “Let Devlin come at me. I’d rather die by his hand than having to spend one minute in Chang’s company.”

Seething, you left the room and stomped over to the toilets. You locked yourself up in one of the stalls and stood breathing in deeply, until you had the anger under control again. You rolled your shoulders back and unlocked the stall door again, making your way over to the sink. 

At least, you thought with a sliver of satisfaction, you had looked spectacular as you had spit at him. There was some dignity in that. You cooled your burning cheeks with a wet cloth, and then went back to your desk. You grimaced when you found Wufei waiting for you there.

“What do you want?” you snapped at him.

“It’s not like you to lose your cool like that.”

You sneered at him. “Get lost.”

“We’ll talk,” he said simply, before moving over to open the door of one of the empty meeting rooms across the hall. 

“I don’t want to,” you said stubbornly. 

“I don’t want to either,” he said coldly, “but I have accepted my duty, and so I will carry it out.”

“Good for you.” Your tone dripped with sarcasm.

He sighed. “-Y/N-, please.”

His tone was less cool now and you hated how that made your belly tighten. You didn’t want him close, didn’t want the complicated feelings that came with seeing him again. You wanted, so, so desperately, to hate him. You had for a while, after losing your job. You may have made a mistake, but he had been the one responsible for your dismissal. 

With a sigh, you moved and walked into the meeting room. It was much smaller than the one you had previously been in. Wufei closed the door behind you and leaned back against the wall next to it.

“The situation is really critical,” he said calmly. “Your safety is our first priority.”

“I can take care of myself,” you said, while glaring at him.

“I don’t doubt your skills, but this is a dangerous man. During his escape he killed ten people.” He met your gaze head on, those dark eyes willing you to give in. “You were the one that arrested him.”

“I wasn’t alone,” you reminded him, your voice softening with the memory. “You were there as well.”

“Yes, but it’s your face that he remembers.” 

You looked away from him, clasping your elbows with your hands. It was a gesture, you knew, that made you look a little forlorn, but you didn’t know what to do. You knew that Devlin was a dangerous man and what he was capable of. Damn it, you had seen some of his victims yourself. But you didn’t want Wufei near you.

You heaved a deep sigh, squeezing your eyes shut. You had a bad feeling about this. Letting him near you would only end badly.

“Can’t someone else do it?” you asked. 

You could practically feel his glare burn. “You won’t have a choice in the matter.”

“No, of course not,” you agreed with him, while giving him a dirty look. “You’ll just decide for me again.”

You turned around and prepared to leave the room, but he was quick to block your exit.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked you.

You gave him a haughty look. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

His gaze narrowed. “It was Une’s decision to dismiss you, not mine.”

“Whatever. It was still your fault. Now let me out.”

With a sigh he opened the door and let you leave the room. You returned to your desk and carried on with your work. Or tried to. It was damned hard to focus with all the anger boiling in your system. You were glad Wufei wasn’t keeping watch on you like some guard dog during the day, as he set up some sort of temporary office in the meeting room across the hall and locked himself up in there. 

It suited you just fine. The ESUN Headquarters were well protected, and Heero was working behind his own desk, so he could come to your defense if anything where to happen out in the hallway. 

It was near the end of the afternoon that Heero packed up his stuff and left. His shift had been taken over by the evening guard and Relena had gone home. You had remained a little longer, because you needed to finish revising some documents. You watched as Heero walked away, giving you a gruff “See you tomorrow.” before stepping into the elevator. 

You bit down on your bottom lip and contemplated what to do. You were finished, but you didn’t want to go home yet, because Wufei would follow you there. During the afternoon, you had received a long, detailed email from Commander Une, in which she explained the regulations of Wufei guarding you. He was to stay with you at all times, until Devlin was put behind bars again. You hated the thought of having to let him into your home, to let him stay with you. 

And so, you quickly packed up and quietly left your workplace. You took the staircase downstairs and changed your heels for the ballet flats behind the statue. You quickly checked if the coast was clear, before darting out of the building and across the street into Preventer HQ. 

You usually avoided the place because it came with too many painful memories and only went there if you couldn’t use the gym close to your apartment. Une had provided you with limited access to the Preventer building when you had gotten your job as Relena’s personal assistant, offering you the use of the gym and the shooting range. It was one of the things that made you like and respect her so much. You knew she had hated having to dismiss you. 

You swiped your card through the slot next to the door that gave access to the changing rooms and the gym and quickly sneaked a peek through the windows lining the walls of the gym. A small smirk spread on your face as you caught sight of Heero in the middle of a round of pushups. Perfect.

You needed to work off the anger and he would be a good sparring partner. 

You quickly went to change and then ventured out into the gym. In the meantime Heero had switched to boxing, and you admired his profile as you started on your way to the treadmill. Your presence made him stop and turn around.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, while approaching you.

“Working out,” you told him pointedly and stepped onto the treadmill. 

“You never come here.” He rested his elbows on the frame of the machine in front of you, casually leaning against it.

You shrugged and adjusted the machine’s settings to your liking and started jogging. “Does it matter?”

He gave a shrug. “Wufei is going to be pissed when he finds you here.”

You scowled. “I don’t care.”

“You should,” he told you. “Stubbornness can get you killed.”

You rolled your eyes, but decided not to comment. 

“I can’t protect both you and Relena,” he said quietly. “You’ll have to accept his presence.”

“I know. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

A small smirk spread on his face as he stepped back. “Come on over when you’re done warming up. We’ll spar.”

“Sure.” You focused on the machine’s display, adjusting the settings and working yourself into a sweat. 

Sparring with Heero Yuy, you discovered, was as challenging as ever. His first attack had been brutal, and it had been clear he fully expected you to have kept your skills honed. With his blazing eyes and sheen of sweat forming on his arms, he was quite a sight and a good distraction from the problems you had to face later on. You had to use all your strength and knowledge to keep up with him.

You smacked face down on the mat when he floored you, and you groaned when you felt his knee dig into your lower back as he followed you down.

“Fuck you, Yuy.”

The husky sound of his laughter filled your ears.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” his voice sounded close to your ear as he leaned in, his breath washing over your flushed cheek. 

You grinned darkly. “Too bad I have a guard dog now.”

His weight left you and you rolled over, getting up quickly. You stood gazing at him with a challenging look in your eyes. His face sported a cocky smirk and he casually folded his arms in front of his chest. You knew you were walking on dangerous grounds when it came to Heero. He wasn’t a man to underestimate. It was clear he was only interested in sex, but that suited you just fine. The last time you had loved a man you had gotten your heart broken into tiny pieces so you weren’t ever allowing yourself to fall in love again. 

Heero reached for you and yanked you closer to him, his other hand coming up to cup the back of your head. “This isn’t the time or place.”

“Fine,” you agreed easily. “Then we’ll wait.”

“Want to work out again tomorrow?”

“If you can handle it.” You gave him a coy smile and stepped back. “See you tomorrow.”

You turned around and sauntered back to the dressing rooms. Once there, you took a long, hot shower to soothe your muscles. As you stood under the steaming water, you wondered if Wufei had figured out where you had gone yet. It felt satisfying to know you had outwitted him for now. You wouldn’t make guarding you easy for him. 

Just as you stepped out of the stall, a towel wrapped around you, the door to the dressing room slammed open and Wufei stormed in. One look at his face told you he was furious with you. It made you smile wickedly. -Y/N- one, Wufei zero. 

“You!” he spat, while forcefully grabbing your arm and dragging you closer. “What the hell where you thinking?”

“I was perfectly safe,” you told him with a sickeningly, sweet smile.

“Do you think this is funny?” he snapped, his eyes blazing with his anger. “Do you have any idea of the danger you are in?”

You gave a careless shrug and stepped back from him, pulling your arm free. In a bold move you knew he would despise, you dropped the towel and wandered over to your bag, unconcerned with your nakedness. You casually started dressing, taking your time, just to irritate him more. You knew it was working, because his glare nearly burned a hole in your back. 

When you were done you turned towards him and raised an eyebrow in question.

He stood fuming at you. “You’re insufferable.”

“Aren’t you glad that hasn’t changed?” Your voice dripped with sarcasm as you hoisted your bag onto your shoulder. “I’m going home.”

He stormed after you as you left the dressing room. His hand shackled around your upper arm and he started dragging you along with him towards the elevator. Once it arrived, he pushed you inside, almost slamming your back against the wall. He planted his hands against it on either side of your head and leaned in.

“Let me make one thing clear,” he said, his voice dangerously cool. “As long as I’m guarding you, you’ll do as I say.”

“Or else?” you taunted, while jutting out your chin in defiance. 

The glint in his eyes made you freeze. It was clear you had pushed him too far already, and despite the fact that he considered himself an honorable man, he was also dangerous. Add to that the fact that he despised you, and you had a ticking time bomb. 

“Let’s just say your superiors won’t be too happy when they find out you made the same mistake twice.” His glare was cold and full of contempt. “I saw you in the gym with Yuy.”

You felt all color drain from your face. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me,” he bit out.

Too stunned by his threat to react, you let him drag you out of the elevator and towards his car.

“Get in.”

You sank into the passenger’s seat and refused to look at him as he drove to your apartment. You were silent the whole way; hurt squeezing around your heart. You felt defeated. He knew you were interested in Heero and he was going to use that knowledge against you if you weren’t careful. He had already taken away the work you had loved the most from you. You couldn’t afford to lose another job. 

Once you entered your apartment, you quickly darted into your bedroom and locked the door behind you. You collapsed on your bed and lay staring up at the ceiling. 

Once, you had thought of Wufei as your closest friend. It was your own fault that you had lost his friendship, but up until now you hadn’t realized how much he disliked you. Would he really go that far? Was he really willing to humiliate you again?

He was. You knew he never backed down on his word. He lived by the rules, and he was the kind of person to eliminate others that didn’t. It was his code.

A trembling sigh escaped you and you turned over on your side, hiding your face in your pillow. Only then you allowed your tears to come. You tried to muffle your sobs, but it was pretty much in vain. Damn him for hurting you again. Was it ever going to stop? Would you ever be free of him?

Just when you had thought your life was back on track he had to barge in and ruin it again.

When your tears ran out, you went into the bathroom to wash your face. Your skin was red and blotchy from crying and your eyes swollen. But still, you wouldn’t back down. You straightened your shoulders and walked out of your bedroom. 

You found Wufei preparing dinner. His Preventer jacket hung over one of your chairs, and his bag was next to the couch. Annoyed that he would take such liberties, you shot him a scowl as you entered the living room. 

“Not much has changed around here, so I remembered where you keep everything,” he said.

You wandered over to the fridge and opened it, getting out a carton of juice. You poured yourself a glass and sipped it, staying silent. But now that you were closer to him, he noticed the state you were in and of course he couldn’t shut up.

“I’ve made you cry,” he observed, his tone changing. He almost sounded regretful.

“You’re an asshole,” you told him snidely. “You have already ruined my life once, and it’s clear you won’t hesitate to do so again.”

He pressed his lips together in a thin line, obviously displeased that you were trying to pick a fight with him again.

“What’s going on between me and Heero is none’s business,” you said, your voice dangerously low. “You forget that, thanks to you, he no longer is my colleague, so I don’t see how jumping into bed with him is going to hold repercussions for me.”

He shot you a nasty glare. “It was Preventer that got you this job. Une is not going to appreciate it when you screw up again.”

“Fuck you,” you snapped. “This situation is completely different!”

“How so?”

“I don’t love him.”

With those words, you whirled around and stormed over to the balcony, throwing open the door. You desperately needed some fresh air. You sank down in one of the lounge chairs and buried your face in your hands. Your breathing was erratic with your anger and you sucked in some much needed air in an attempt to calm yourself down. 

It wouldn’t do you any good if you murdered him. But it would make your life so much easier. 

Wufei came to bring you a plate and your stomach grumbled at the scent of the food he put down in front of you. He took the other chair and sighed.

“You’re right,” he finally admitted, begrudgingly. “It’s none of my business what happens in your private life.”

You stared ahead of you, unwilling to look him in the eye. 

“You should eat, before it gets cold.”

You slowly reached for your plate and started eating. It still took you by surprise that he was such a great cook. Back when you had been partners, friends even, it hadn’t been uncommon for you to go over to his place to study or discuss a case over dinner. He had usually been the cook, given you were terrible in the kitchen.

He seemed to notice that you were practically wolfing down your meal. “Are you still such a disastrous cook?”

The clear amusement in his voice made you pause to look at him. He no longer seemed angry with you, but with him you could never be sure. Wufei could hold a grudge for a long time and once one lost his respect, it was difficult to regain it. 

You gave a shrug. “I’ve improved.”

“I find that hard to believe.” He hid his smirk by taking another bite of food.

Him teasing you brought back memories and they were painful to deal with. Truth to be told, you missed having him in your life. Your relationship with him had always held a competitive edge, but it had been an honest and genuine friendship. And you missed having him around to tease you about your cooking, to compliment you on a job well done, to compete with you at the shooting range. Up ‘till the moment your friendship had ended, you hadn’t realized how much your life had been entangled with his, and it had left a large, gaping hole that your hadn’t been able to fill successfully. 

“Don’t,” you said softly, while looking away from him.

“Don’t what?” he questioned.

You swallowed before meeting his gaze again. His onyx eyes only showed curiosity.

“Be nice to me,” you said quietly. “I don’t think I…”

You trailed off and put your plate down, moving to get up from the chair. But he stopped you by grabbing your arm and forcing you to sit down again. “I think it’s time we talked.”

You shook your head. “I don’t want to talk about what happened.”

He sat studying you in silence for a while. “I did what I thought what was best.”

“What was best?” You hated how small and broken your voice sounded, and quickly steeled yourself, forcing yourself to speak in a stronger voice again. “Because of you I lost my job!”

“I couldn’t work with you anymore.”

“You could have just requested a new partner,” you said softly. 

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked ahead of him. You sighed and got up, moving passed him. 

In the door opening you halted. “I don’t know if I can forgive you.”

You watched how his shoulders tensed at your words, and then quietly went inside. You heaved a weary sigh and started cleaning the kitchen. He came in when you were about to finish up and put the plates in the dishwasher. 

“I’ll get you some blankets and a pillow,” you said, before venturing off to retrieve said items. 

Your apartment didn’t have a guest bedroom, so Wufei would have to sleep on the couch for the rest of the week. You desperately hoped he would die of neck cramps. You retrieved a pillow and a spare blanket from the closet in your bedroom and went back into the living room to give them to him. 

“You know the way around,” you said. “I’m going to bed.”

You turned around and left the room, not waiting for his grumbled reply.

-x-x-x-

The next morning, you stumbled into the living room, your eyes still heavy with sleep and your hair a sleep tousled mess. You hid a yawn behind your hand as you went to prepare coffee. Wufei was still asleep on the couch and you studied him for a while. It really was a shame that such a beautiful man had such a rotten personality, you mused. Those cheekbones were razor sharp. Your eyes widened when he turned over on his side, his right hand coming up to grasp the pillow.

Holy hell, when had he gotten the sleeve done? Enthralled by the black and grey lines inked onto his arm, you moved closer. It was a traditional Chinese dragon, surrounded by flowers and fire. The dragon was enormous, spanning the entire length of his arm, its tail wrapped around his wrist and the head elegantly curved towards his shoulder. It was amazingly detailed, and you stood admiring it for a while, until you noticed that he was waking up.

You stepped back, still a little taken aback with your discovery, and sank down in the lounge chair opposite the couch. Wufei turned on his back and stretched, and you watched as the blanket slipped down to his hips, but sadly there wasn’t much to see as he was wearing a tank top. 

His eyes opened and he blinked a couple of times, before turning his head to look at you. 

“Morning,” he mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep.

“Good morning,” you greeted him back, deciding to be civil. “Coffee?”

He nodded and pushed himself up in a sitting position. You got up and went into the kitchen, grabbing two mugs from the cupboard. You poured the coffee and grabbed your phone from the charger before making your way back. You handed him one of the mugs and sat down in the lounge chair again, curling your feet under you as you scrolled through your email to check your schedule for today. 

Today, you and Relena would go over the final version of the program for the colony tour together. There was also a meeting with the prime minister scheduled, where you had to take notes, and a press conference after lunch. You groaned when you realized your day would end at the tailor’s for the final fitting for Friday night’s gala. You never liked these kinds of events, but they were a necessary evil that came with your job. So far, you had never been able to skip out of one, because Relena wanted you at her side on such evenings. 

You sighed and sipped your coffee, a miserable expression on your face.

“What’s the matter?” Wufei asked you.

“I just remembered I have an appointment at the tailor’s today for Friday’s gala,” you muttered. “Did you bring a tux with you?”

You smirked when he grimaced as he realized he would have to join you. You got up to start preparing for work. As you left the living room you casually spoke up. “I guess you still don’t like galas either.”

You dressed with care for the day. A press conference always meant having to look your best. Even though Relena might be the one doing the talking, you would be in view of the people present and the cameras broadcasting the conference. You made sure your make-up looked good and took extra time for your hair. You carefully brushed and styled it, pinning it back from your face, but leaving the rest to hang down. 

You froze when you heard the shower being turned on and swallowed heavily. You were acutely reminded of the fact that there was a man staying with you, and a gorgeous one at that. No matter how much you disliked him, you couldn’t stop yourself from being aware of him. In the past, you had seen him countless times without a shirt, so you could easily picture that broad, golden chest, the beautifully sculpted body, the strong muscles moving under taut skin. 

You narrowed your eyes at your reflection in the mirror and firmly reminded yourself that Wufei had ruined your life. You were not going to fantasize about him. It was stupid and it would only aggravate him if he knew you were thinking about him like that. He didn’t like being sexualized. Besides that, he felt nothing but contempt for you and after his little stunt from yesterday you felt less inclined to do what he told you to do. You smirked and dug out your favorite lipstick, painting your lips bloody murder red. 

You quickly finished up and left your bedroom, deciding it was safer to wait for him in the living room. When he emerged, he was fully dressed in his Preventer uniform, his wet hair tied back from his face. You noticed how he stopped short when he caught sight of you and inwardly smiled. 

“I’m ready to go,” you said. “I always pick up breakfast on the way.”

He gave a nod and grabbed his jacket. You felt a sting of envy as you watched him slip into it. You could still clearly remember the weight and feeling of it, the smell of the leather, the way it moved with your body. A wistful sigh escaped you as you moved passed him to the front door. He was quick to grab your wrist and yank you behind him.

“I’m going out first,” he said.

You rolled your eyes, but let him take the lead. There was no use getting into a fight with him over his guarding duties again, while still at your apartment. You’d see how far you could stretch his patience during the day. He seemed at ease making his way downstairs to his car, but you noticed how his sharp gaze seemed to take everything in at once. He scanned the surrounding area carefully as he opened the passenger door of his car and let you in. You sat down quietly and fished your phone out of your work bag when it started ringing.

“Hello?”

“-Y/N-, it’s Relena.”

You smiled at the sound of her voice. “Good morning.”

“Hi. Could you do me a favor and pick up some pastries from the baker when you go there?” she asked you. “Since we’ll be stuck at the tailor’s for a good few hours, I thought we should indulge.”

You grinned. “Sure. No problem.”

Half an hour later, you made your way inside the ESUN headquarters, carrying your bag, and a box from the baker’s. Wufei gave you an incredulous stare that clearly told you he thought you were insane when you slipped behind the ugly statue for your daily shoe changing ritual.

“What are you doing?” he questioned you.

You emerged again, adding a little sway to your hips as you walked. “Changing shoes.”

He eyed the high heeled pumps for a moment, then shook his head and mentioned you to start walking again. You walked in front of him, a small smirk on your face, as you made your way to the elevators. The wall in front of you was made of mirrored glass and you grinned when you noticed that Wufei’s gaze was drawn to your legs. You pushed the button for the elevator and stood waiting patiently, trying very hard to contain your amusement. 

When the doors opened you moved forward, giving him a look over your shoulder.

“Better keep your eyes on your surroundings, Agent Chang,” you said coyly.

He narrowed his eyes into a feisty glare and slammed his fist against the button for the eight floor. The doors closed and he was quick to turn his back to you. He stood ramrod straight, his shoulders squared and tense. You hid your grin behind your hand. 

The day went by as almost any other day. You discussed the colony tour with Relena, taking notes on any of the things that still had to be taken care of. Relena wanted to hand out lunch packages at the construction sites on the L2 colonies, donate clothes and toys to the orphanage you would visit on L5, and there was a retirement home that she wanted to spend the day at on L3. 

“Be sure to plan some free time for yourself as well,” Relena said with a smile as she raised her tea cup to her lips. 

“I’ll have plenty,” you said, while going over your notes again.

“I’m serious,” Relena said, while leaning forward and resting her hand on top of yours. “You work so hard and I always have to send you on vacation. So you’ll take time off whenever you can during the tour.”

“To do what? I can’t just go and walk around outside anymore,” you said, while raising your eyes to meet her gaze.

She gave you a conspiring grin. “So you’ll have Wufei to tag along. That will loosen him up.”

You snorted. “Right.”

“Come on, -Y/N-.” She was quietly laughing to herself. “He is a fine looking man. How bad can it be?”

You sighed. Relena didn’t know about your history with Wufei and you pretty much planned to keep it that way. So, instead you settled for: “He doesn’t like me.”

“That can be changed.”

You chuckled. “Don’t go and play matchmaker.”

She grinned back at you. “Don’t worry. If something is meant to happen, it will happen.”

You wanted to laugh at her naïve view on love. It probably was the reason why Heero never made a move on her. 

“I better get back to work,” you said, while getting up.

She nodded and gave you a smile. “I’ll call you when we need to go to the prime minister.”

“Sure.” You sauntered out of her office, closing the door behind you and found Wufei and Heero glaring at each other in the hallway. “Wow. Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Wufei said coolly.

“Aah, good. For a moment I thought you were going to kill each other.”

“Tempting,” Heero said dryly, which caused you to chuckle.

“You’re not being an asshole again, are you ‘Fei?” you asked, deciding to use the old nickname you and Duo had come up with for him back in the day. It was a nickname that annoyed him, but he had tolerated it because you had been his friend. 

“Don’t call me that,” he growled. 

You moved passed them and sat down behind your desk, casually logging on to your computer again. You opened your email and froze as you saw a new unread message from an unknown sender popping up. You clicked on it to open it, your eyes widening as you read the text. 

You felt all color drain from your face. “Jesus fucking Christ!” 

“What’s the matter?” Heero asked you.

You swallowed thickly. “You better come and take a look at this.”

In an instant, both men were at your sides, reading the email over your shoulder.

_You can count your last days. I know where to find you._

“He found me.” You murmured, while pressing a shaking hand over your mouth. 

You weren’t supposed to be afraid. You had gone after this man and had arrested him, without ever fearing for your life. But that had been because you had a partner watching your back. And despite the fact that Wufei would protect you now, you felt so alone. Fear settled in your stomach like a heavy stone. You were hunted and that knowledge didn’t sit easy with you. 

“Give me the key to your apartment,” Wufei said. 

“What? Why?” You turned your head to gaze up at him, confusion marring your features. 

“You’ll be staying with me until he is put behind bars again,” he said. “I’ll go and pack a bag for you.”

“The hell you’re not!” you snapped, while jumping up from your seat. You wouldn’t have him go through your personal items that easily. Good god, what did he think? “I’ll pack my own bag at the end of the day.”

“I’m not taking the risk,” Wufei snapped back. “I’m going now.”

“Go with him,” Heero said. “I’ll take notes for you during the meeting with the prime minister. Just be sure to be back in time for the press conference.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, while turning to face him.

He gave a curt nod. “Otherwise I wouldn’t offer it.”

“Thanks, Heero,” you said with a small smile. 

He reached out and rested his hand on your shoulder for a moment. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid.”

You nodded. “I’m trying not to be.”

“Good. Now go.”

You turned around and saw that your little moment with Heero hadn’t been lost on Wufei, who stood glaring daggers at you through narrowed eyes. You raised an eyebrow in question when you approached him and he was quick to move in front of you as you walked down the corridor. 

He was silent all the way to your apartment. Once there and when he had checked all the rooms and deemed them safe, he spoke up. “Are you afraid?”

You gave a shrug as you packed clothes into a suitcase. Now that you were here, you might as well pack for the colony tour. “I don’t know.”

“Bullshit. You are, or Heero wouldn’t have spoken up about it.” Wufei crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I said I would protect you.”

“Yeah, yeah…” you muttered as you moved passed him to the bathroom to gather your toiletries. “It’s just that I put less value to your words than I did three years ago.”

He looked insulted. “Is it about that again?”

“Jesus! Stop, will you?” you snapped, while turning around to glare at him. Too bad you didn’t look so intimidating with your arms full of shampoo and shower gel. 

“You don’t trust me.”

“No, and I have a good reason for that.” You moved passed him again.

You packed the items you had gathered in plastic bags before throwing them into your suitcase, on top of the various business suits you had already packed. You packed your make-up, a comfy sweater and sweatpants, and threw in a few books for good measure. Your underwear followed next, and then you opened another closet to examine your shoe collection.

You were glad when he left your room to gather his own stuff. You selected four pairs of pumps in different colors, and added a pair of comfortable sneakers to go with them. You zipped your suitcase closed and went off to dig up your passport, laptop, and camera. When you had finally gathered everything you pulled your suitcase into the living room and found Wufei waiting for you there.

“Look,” you said, “back then I could trust you because I was your partner. But now… You don’t see me as your equal anymore.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but you were quick to continue, cutting off anything he had wanted to say. “Shut up and let me finish. You don’t see me as your equal, because I’m a woman and I can’t control my feelings.”

He looked away from you. The tense line of his shoulders and his locked jaw told you he was doing his best to keep himself from arguing with you. Because he knew you had a point but somehow, his silence really hurt. It confirmed what you had just said. He didn’t see you as his equal anymore.

“Let’s go,” you said quietly.

The ride back to the ESUN headquarters was spent in silence. You sat staring out of the window, not in the mood for conversation. Wufei was tense, his gaze narrowed as he focused on the road. You were glad when he turned into the parking garage.

He spoke up when he turned off his car. “I’m sorry. But you can trust me to protect you.”

You sighed and nodded. “Alright.”

From the corner of your eyes you saw him raise his hand, but he stopped and changed his mind before he could put it on your shoulder. You turned your head to look at him, and found those onyx eyes trained on your face, an unreadable expression in them. You got lost. It wasn’t fair that he could still do this to you, keep you frozen in your place with just one look, but you couldn’t resist and drowned in the dark depths. You didn’t notice that he leaned in closer, until his breath washed over your lips. Your eyes were wide and showed how vulnerable you felt. If he were to scoff at you now, he would break your heart all over again. 

Your lips parted of their own volition. You no longer had control over your own body. You felt his fingers caress over your jaw, the calluses on his skin leaving a tingling sensation in their wake. A shiver ran down your spine, and you gasped when those fingers delved into your hair. The next moment he yanked you closer. 

Your fingers closed around the lapels of his Preventer jacket as your mouth met his. Not even your darkest fantasies compared to the reality of those sinfully full lips pressed against yours. He was passionate, but that didn’t surprise you. Wufei Chang was passionate in everything he did. His tongue swept over your bottom lip in a teasing caress, demanding entrance, and you were quick to accommodate him. A soft moan escaped you as his tongue touched yours. You were swept under and couldn’t seem to surface anymore. The kiss was mind numbing, hot and slick, leaving you trembling in his hold. 

You could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage beneath the jacket, matching the thundering rhythm of your own heart. You broke the kiss when the need for air became too much, and gasped when he pulled you back, fusing his mouth with yours once more. Air be damned. You longed to explore, your hands itching to roam over the taut torso you knew he hid beneath his clothes, but you almost didn’t dare. You felt as if you were lost in a dream and that touching him would shatter it. 

“Wufei…” you murmured when you managed to break away for a much needed gulp of air. 

“Shh…” His thump caressed over your kiss swollen bottom lip and you went limp against him.

He used the hand tangled in your hair to tip your head back, and let his mouth roam over the exposed skin of your throat. Another moan escaped you when he found the sensitive spot behind your ear and flicked his tongue over it. Liquid desire pooled between your legs and your thighs squeezed together with a need for friction. 

God, he already had you turned on by just kissing you. And that thought made you surface abruptly. 

“No!” You pushed away from him and scrambled back, quickly grasping the door handle. You hurried to get out of the car and stood breathing hard, a hand coming up to clasp over your mouth.

Your lips were sensitive and swollen, an acute reminder of the fact that you had let your guard down. You felt horrified and utterly devastated. This was the man that had broken you three years ago. And you were so stupid to let him close to you, let him see that he still was your greatest weakness. A sob tore from your throat, and you bolted away, running inside the building. You completely ignored him calling after you. 

-x-x-x-

You were back on L5, colony C105, dragging a struggling woman along with you as you left the abandoned factory that had been home to a group of bio terrorists. Part of your team was still inside arresting more people, while others were already pushing suspects into cars and vans. 

Your radio crackled to life when you delivered the woman to one of your colleagues. “Agent -L/N-, status?”

You grabbed the radio from your belt and smiled as you addressed your partner. “All clear. You can proceed to bring the rest of the arrestees out.”

“Roger.”

It took a while for him to appear, dragging a man along with him, but the sight of him made you sigh in relief. He was okay. The bio terrorists were a group of highly dangerous people, but you felt good to know your mission was a success. 

You had just one moment to relax, before the abandoned building suddenly exploded. The explosion knocked you to the ground, and you quickly brought up your hands to protect your face from the heat of the blast and the debris raining down around you. You were up the next instant. 

“WUFEI!” 

Fear lodged in your throat as you ran towards the remains of the factory. It was hard to see and breathe with all the dust floating around in the air after the explosion. You were gasping for breath by the time you reached the place where you had last seen him. Your ears were still ringing from the blast, so you relied on sight alone to find him. You pushed aside fallen debris, trying to locate your partner in the chaos. You sobbed with relief when you found him. He was lying under a pile of rubble, dust coating his hair and skin, and blood was oozing from a wound on his head. 

“Wufei!” You knelt down next to him and pulled his body out from under the rubble. He was too heavy for you to carry, so you only managed to drag him along for a few feet, before collapsing to the ground with his head cradled in your lap. “Wufei! Can you hear me?”

You frantically sought for a pulse, breathed in relief when you found it, only to realize it was weakening rapidly. No, no, no!

“MEDIC!” you screamed, while moving to place Wufei’s head on the ground. 

You worked quickly to get his Kevlar vest undone, preparing to perform CPR. Your breathing was irregular with panic. You couldn’t lose him. Not when he didn’t know… 

“Please,” you pleaded with him. “Don’t die on me.”

A medic came rushing towards you and pushed you aside. Your vision became blurry with tears. 

“Don’t die, please…” you whispered again and again as your vision darkened…

Somewhere, far away, a voice began to register in your mind. Someone was calling your name. You struggled with reality, not realizing you were reliving a memory. Didn’t they know he was dying? You had to stay focused. Hands grabbed your arms, and you fought to get free. 

“No!”

“-Y/N-! Wake up!”

You jolted awake and gasped for breath, your vision blurry as you struggled to surface from the nightmare. Your eyes were wide with panic and fear. 

“Breathe,” Wufei told you while moving to sit down on the edge of the bed. “It was just a nightmare.”

You shook your head and sat up, bringing your knees up to rest your head against them, trying your best not to break down. You didn’t want to cry in front of him and with a sinking heart you realized he would ask questions. Questions about things you could barely understand yourself. Ever since that kiss, that blood thumping, devastating kiss, the nightmares had returned.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” You straightened and ran both hands through your sweat soaked hair. 

“Was it L5 again?”

You nodded. “Fuck. I thought I was over this.”

“PTSD can come back whenever you least expect it,” he said. 

You squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head, refusing to accept his reasoning. You hadn’t been diagnosed with PTSD after that disastrous mission, so why would you have it now? It made no sense. He rested a hand on your shoulder for a moment, and that made your resolve not to cry in front of him crumble. The tears came, hot on your cheeks, and you buried your face in your hands as you sobbed. 

“I’m sorry,” you managed to get out. 

He was silent, but his presence was oddly comforting. The past few days had been difficult. Having him trust into your life again so suddenly had messed up any feeling of normality. And now that you had to stay with him, your routine was in shambles, and you had come to realize how much you missed him. The past three years you had been in denial, refusing to admit how important he had been in your life, and suddenly having him there again brought along a lot of confusion. It was difficult to deal with, with him, and with his attitude towards you.

After the kiss, and the heated argument that had followed that night, he made an effort to be civil towards you, but you could tell it was forced and therefore not genuine. It grated on your nerves and made you lash out at him often. 

But now he was sitting on the side of your bed, obviously concerned after you had suffered from the same nightmare for the third night in a row. You had been unwilling to talk about it the past few days. You couldn’t trust Wufei anymore.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. 

“It’s not!” you snapped. “I almost lost you out there and…”

“I survived.”

“If I hadn’t found you in time…” you trailed off and squeezed your eyes shut. “Damn it.”

“But you did,” he said, his tone turning gentle. His fingers gently grasped your chin, forcing you to look at him. 

You brought a hand up to wipe your cheeks and took a deep breath, trying to stifle the sobs. In the semi darkness of the room, your gaze met his and you saw the reassurance reflected in his eyes. You hung on to that and tried to calm your breathing.

When you managed to calm down you leaned back against the headboard and gave a bitter chuckle. “You must think I’m weak.”

“Stop saying that.”

“Come on, Wufei,” you said, while giving him a mocking smile. “I have no control over my emotions. You used to hate it when people hadn’t.”

“People change,” he said coolly.

“Right. Letting your hair grow and getting a tattoo makes much of a difference,” you said sarcastically.

It was so much easier to pick a fight with him than it was to be civil to him. It was the only defense you had against that startling attraction that had come back full force. And it was worse now, because you now knew he might reciprocate. But you weren’t planning on letting him get closer again.

He heaved a deep sigh and rolled his eyes. “Picking a fight again, I see.”

You glared at him. He could see right through you and that annoyed you. Fuck him and his all-seeing gaze or whatever. “Shut up, Chang!”

He got up and stormed out of the room. “I’ll see you in the morning when you can behave.”

You sighed when the door slammed shut behind him. You curled up under the blankets and did your best to go back to sleep. You could still get a few hours of sleep, and you would need it with the gala at the end of the day. You squeezed your eyes shut and willed sleep to come.

-x-x-x-

“The cut of that dress is so flattering on you,” Relena commented while examining the way the fabric of your dress fell to the floor. “I wish I could wear something like that.”

“You can,” you said, while smiling at her.

She laughed and shook her head. “And then my reputation would be in shambles.”

You took in the way she looked. The elegant evening gown was a mint shade that flattered her skin tone, but it wasn’t heart stopping. The square cut was modest, even a little old fashioned. Perfectly prim and proper for the Foreign Minister. Your dress, however, was a different matter. It was a strapless dress that showed a tempting hint of curves, done in midnight blue chiffon. The bodice featured sparkling silver embroidery, and together with the elegant hairdo and the expertly applied make-up, you looked stunning.

It had been worth the hours spent at the beauty salon with your boss. Wufei’s impatience had been priceless. The way he had checked his watch over and over again told you he really wasn’t cut out to be someone’s bodyguard. Heero had merely scoffed at his friend’s behavior and had continued reading over the report in his lap. 

“Let’s make a bet,” you said, while giving her a grin. “If you don’t manage to land an appointment with Minister Donovan this evening, you’ll wear a strapless dress to the next gala.”

Relena scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, jutting out her chin as if she were insulted by the mere thought of being incapable of such a thing. Only you knew that the new Minister of Defense was like a slippery eel when it came to making appointments. 

“Deal.” Relena held out her hand towards you.

You shook it firmly. “Alright. Let’s go downstairs and check if the men have fallen asleep on us.”

You strapped on the ankle holster with the small handgun and grabbed your purse. Relena hooked her arm through yours and together you left the guest room you had overtaken at her mansion. You made your way downstairs and found Heero and Wufei in the living room. Both were dressed in black tuxedos and together they were quite a sight to behold.

“They look as if they come right off a magazine,” you whispered to your boss, causing her to burst out in a fit of giggles.

“My hearing, -Y/N-, is excellent,” Heero said, while giving you a smirk. “But thanks for the compliment.”

Your cheeks flared with heat. “Jesus, what are you? Superman?”

Relena snorted and coughed to cover up the fact that she was laughing. Heero’s smirk only widened.

“Very well,” you said, after clearing your throat. “You’re welcome.”

“So, now that we’re all here,” Heero said, while mentioning Wufei over, “there are some final details to be discussed.”

“I’m wearing my ankle holster,” you said. 

You purposefully left out the fact that there were also knives strapped to your thighs. The metal detectors would pick them up, but showing the ankle holster usually was enough to avoid further inspection. Besides that, security personnel knew you held a gun permit.

“Good,” Wufei said. “Stay close to me during the evening and don’t wander off alone.”

“Same goes for you,” Heero said to Relena, who only gave a demure nod. She knew the rules.

“Anything else?” you asked.

“Supper will be served in the room adjoining the ballroom. Our team has already declared it safe, but there will be a final check before either of you is allowed to go in,” Heero said.

It suddenly dawned upon you that the same security rules and regulations now applied to you. You were being treated as if you were a government official. They were giving the whole matter more importance than they should. 

But before you could voice your thoughts, Wufei spoke up. “No arguing, -Y/N-. You’re being hunted by a terrorist, so you’ll abide by the rules.”

You sighed and held up your hands in defeat. “Alright, alright.”

“Let’s go,” Heero said.

He offered Relena his arm, and she took it with a smile. You turned towards Wufei and raised an eyebrow at him in question. He moved forward and offered you his arm, which you took. His scent washed over you, the hint of after shave tantalizing. He had tied his hair back from his face, leaving the rest to hang down over his shoulders. The tux emphasized his strong shoulders and narrow hips, his legs seeming a mile long in the slacks. He looked so mouthwateringly good you had trouble concentrating. And well shit, he was talking to you.

“… you can only have one.”

“One what?” you asked.

He gave you a scolding look from the corner of his eyes. “You weren’t paying attention.”

You had the audacity to blush and ducked your head. “No.”

“I said you can only have one glass of champagne, because I expect you to be on full alert.” The amused smile he gave you made your heart skip a beat. It had been a long time ago since he had last smiled at you like that and it was still heart stopping.

You gave a shrug, hoping to shake off the feelings swirling in your stomach. “Alright.”

You got into the waiting limousine and found Relena smiling at you from her seat. You settled down next to her.

“What are you smiling about?” you asked her quietly.

“Nothing,” she replied casually. For such a modest and proper woman, she always seemed to pick up everything. She continued speaking, her tone a little louder, so that the men wouldn’t think you were talking about them. “Now tell me, what is there to gossip about?”

“Lady Felicity has a new dog. Be sure to mention it when you go to thank her for her donation for the colony tour,” you said.

“Noted. Anything else?”

“It is rumored that the Minister of Finances is having a liaison with a French actress,” you said, with a completely straight face. “In hindsight, you better not mention that.”

Heero snorted. “I thought that was common knowledge.”

“It sure is if you know about it,” you said with a chuckle.

Relena looked shocked. “He is cheating? That bastard! His wife is a lovely woman!”

“Er… Forget I even said anything,” you continued. “Oh, Donald called the office yesterday to ask if you would sit next to him during supper. I held him off and said you really had to be seated next to the Marquise.”

Relena groaned. “You’re a lifesaver.”

You continued, now on a roll, ticking off the points on your fingers. “Your brother is attending as well and is using the name Zechs Merquise tonight. Make sure to keep Heero away from him to avoid any bloodshed.”

Heero grimaced and Wufei hid a smirk behind his hand. Last year Heero and his former arch enemy had gotten into a fight over Relena’s security details and it had ended up with some solid punches being thrown. 

“You’re not telling me something,” Relena accused you mildly. 

The limo arrived and the men got out first, checking the perimeter. You sat next to Relena for a moment longer, before Wufei held out his hand for you. 

As you passed Relena you gave her a sly smile. “Good luck scoring that appointment with Minister Donovan.”

You heard her sputtering as you got out. Wufei’s hand settled on the small of your back and he was quick to propel your forward, moving you into the building and the safety of the foyer. 

“Relax,” you told him on a breathless laugh.

“Heero and Relena will catch up later,” Wufei told you.

You went through the security, and as predicted, you only had to show the ankle holster before the Preventer taking care of security let you pass. Deciding to put on a little show to see how far you could stretch his patience, you slipped your arm through Wufei’s again and leaned in closer to him.

“You still don’t dance?” you asked him.

“Only when forced,” came his dry reply.

You gaped at him. “Since when?”

“Shut up,” he snapped, although is tone was mild. “If you want to dance, you’ll have to dance with me.”

You gave him a sly grin. “Gee, so bossy.”

You arrived at the ballroom, and soon enough Relena caught up with you after having to pose for the press and answer some of their questions. 

“Alright,” she said. “Let’s mingle.”

For two hours, you remained at her side, making sure to point out people she really had to speak to and to supply the needed reminders of important information. All the while, Wufei and Heero stuck by your sides, but you remained alert yourself. You made sure to regularly scan the room, but so far you only saw familiar faces and none you couldn’t trust.

Supper was served, and afterwards you gave Wufei a challenging look as you entered the ballroom again. “I guess I’ll have my one glass of champagne and then I want to dance.”

A waiter came by and your bodyguard dutifully plucked a champagne glass from the tray and handed it to you. “There you go.”

“Why, thank you.” You idly sipped the drink as you made a round around the dance floor. Couples had already taken up the space for a Viennese Waltz. “I’m always glad I nowadays have a function when attending these events.”

Wufei gave you a questioning look. “How so?”

“Just to be a guest is so boring. At least now I can still help Relena out, so I don’t feel completely useless.” The ease of the confession shocked even you and you quickly looked away.

But of course, he had already seen and he grabbed your arm, pulling you with him towards the balcony. The doors leading to it were open to let in the cool evening air. You stepped outside and place your glass on the railing of the balcony, looking out towards the elegant gardens surrounding the building.

“Do you feel useless?” Wufei asked you. 

You gave him a look over your shoulder and found him genuinely curious. You gave a shrug and looked ahead again. “Sometimes.”

“Be honest,” he said while stepping up beside you.

You sighed. “Okay, most of the time.”

“Why?”

“Because I still crave the missions and the action. I don’t make much of a difference anymore, I don’t know. Take a pick.” You gestured wildly with your hands as you spoke, showing him how frustrated you were with your current life.

He was silent for a while, seemingly deep in thought. You took a gulp from the champagne glass and grimaced at the taste. 

“I guess…” he started, but then trailed off again.

You turned so you stood facing him and waited.

“I guess if I had been where I am now, I would have reacted differently,” he finally said. 

Your mouth fell open with surprise. Was he going to apologize? 

“I can’t undo what I did back then, but then I believed it was the best course of action.”

So he still stood by his decision to rat you out. Asshole. But instead of angry, your voice sounded small as you spoke again. “It hurt you know. I just wanted you to know how I felt about you.”

“It could have compromised our missions.”

“It never did, Wufei,” you said. “Because I never expected you to love me back.”

“Then what?” he asked you.

“Then nothing!” Finally the anger came through and you snapped at him. “I did hope, but I held no expectations. But after L5, I just couldn’t go on without you knowing!”

You turned away from him, taking a trembling breath in an attempt to calm down. You rather not make a scene out on the balcony. 

“Like I said, you could have gone and requested Une for a new partner,” you said quietly. “You didn’t have to ruin my life in the way you did. But it doesn’t matter now anymore. You can’t undo what you did, because Une is not going to hire me again.”

“I’m sorry.” His tone was tinted with regret, as if he now realized how much his decisions had impacted you. 

“And you know what? I still wonder about what you said to her!” you whirled around to glare at him. “She just wouldn’t fire me over a confession.”

He took a step back from you. “I wouldn’t go that low and lie about what happened. I just made it very clear that I couldn’t work with you anymore, because you had feelings for me.”

“What did you tell her, Wufei?” you asked, while taking a step closer. “Be honest.”

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Fine. I told her you panicked on L5, and that you had become a liability. That you weren’t cut out for fieldwork anymore.”

The slap to his cheek sounded loud and clear over the music pouring outside from the ballroom. You knew it had to have hurt like a bitch, because your hand stung from the impact. Already, his cheek was turning a fiery, satisfying red.

“You fucking jerk!” you seethed, while giving him a shove. “And you had to audacity to kiss me? WHILE KNOWING WHAT YOU DID?”

“Quiet! You’re making a scene.”

“Damn right, I am!” Your eyes were starting to burn, but you fought the tears with all your might. “How could you?!? And all because I loved you?”

You clasped a hand over your mouth to stop the pathetic wailing sound that threatened to come out. You squeezed your eyes shut, hoping to stop the tears, but you couldn’t fight them anymore. 

“I hate you,” you whispered, heartfelt, as the first tear trickled down your cheek. “I fucking hate you! You had no right!”

You couldn’t look at him anymore and so you didn’t see the hurt that flashed in his gaze for a moment. He remained silent. He knew he would only make things worse if he tried to defend himself. You turned away from him and grasped the railing, staggering over to the chair in the corner. The truth, even three years too late, broke you all over again. You were left a trembling mess, devastated by his betrayal. You had thought him to be your friend. His reaction to your confession, the cold anger and denial, had been cruel, but somehow you had expected that. Wufei Chang was bound to the rules of the organization that he worked for, so he wouldn’t allow himself to develop feelings for his partner other than friendship. But as your friend he had betrayed you. 

You sobbed and collapsed in the chair, tears running freely now. You no longer had control over your body and you did your best to muffle your crying with your hand. Wufei could do little to offer you comfort. You wouldn’t let him close to you again, not after knowing what he had done.

It was in that state, that Relena and Heero found you, fifteen minutes later. You were lost in yourself, in the depression and sadness that threatened to consume you, but you could detect Heero’s anger through the haze in your mind.

“What happened? What did you do?”

“I… She wanted to know what I had done to have her fired from Preventer.”

Heero swore, and turned towards you, kneeling down in front of you. Relena had draped her arm over your shoulders, trying to soothe you.

“-Y/N-,” Heero coaxed gently. “Look at me. We’re going to take you home, okay?”

Your only answer was a sob. Heero got up and lifted you into his arms. Your head lolled onto his shoulder as you hid your face into the fabric of his jacket. 

“Let’s go,” Heero said gruffly.

In the limo, Relena cradled you in her arms, while Heero sat on your other side, his arm draped over both you and Relena’s shoulders. Secretly, you were amazed how well they worked together to try and make you comfortable. And you were so thankful for their support.

Once the limo reached the house, Heero carried you inside and upstairs. Relena stopped Wufei from coming after you.

“Wufei,” she said in a calm and cool voice. “A word?”

“Sure,” he said, although reluctantly.

Heero lowered you onto the bed in the guest room you usually took up when staying over and gently cupped your cheek.

“Hey,” he said, his tone gentle. “Can you tell me what happened?”

You shook your head, knowing he would come to your defense. You didn’t want things to turn uglier than they already were for Wufei. No doubt that Relena was chewing him out already and you didn’t want Heero to weigh in his own lecture. 

“I got her some water.” Relena came into the room, her cheeks flushed with anger. 

You slowly sat up and took the glass she offered you, drowning the contents quickly. “I’m sorry for causing you both trouble.”

“Don’t apologize,” they said in unison, making you smile slightly.

Relena sat down on the other side of the bed and took your hand in hers. “I could stay here, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” you said softly. “And thanks Heero.”

He rubbed his hand up and down your arm in answer. 

“I knew about what Wufei did,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I saw how hurt you were and I didn’t want to add to it.”

“It’s okay,” you said, while desperately trying to keep another flood of tears at bay. “I don’t blame you.”

“He said he is sorry, though,” Relena said carefully. She gave your hand a light squeeze.

“He is too fucking late for that,” you muttered bitterly. “I can’t believe he told Une about L5. Some friend he was.”

“Did you really panic back then?” Heero asked.

You shrugged. “I was fully functioning, but yes, I was worried. He was dying in my arms after all.”

You hadn’t ever told any of your direct colleagues about what had happened on L5. You rather not be reminded of the situation, of the fact that Wufei’s life had hung on by just a loose threat. On the outside, his injuries had seemed minimal, but he had suffered from a lot of internal bleeding and broken bones from the explosion and parts of the building collapsing on top of him. Numerous agents had died in the blast, but a lucky few had managed to survive.

“It was the medic, Johnson, that started the rumor about me panicking,” you told Heero.

“I always thought he was an asshole.”

“In fact, before he even got to us, I was preparing to perform CPR. I was fucking trained for these kinds of situations,” you rubbed a hand over your face, feeling weary and tired. “I can’t believe that Wufei actually bought his story.”

“Are you going to be able to sleep?” Heero asked.

“I’ll try,” you said, before turning towards Relena. “Can I use your VID-phone?”

“Why?”

“I’m going to call Une.” You moved and got up, determination settling in. “I know her and she won’t be asleep.”

“Go ahead.”

You went into the bathroom to wash your face first, and then went downstairs into Relena’s home office to call the Chief Commander of Preventer.

“Miss -L/N-,” she said, once the connection held. “Is there something amiss?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” you said. “I would like to request a new bodyguard.”

“Why, if I may ask?”

“I can’t be around agent Chang anymore. Is Agent Maxwell available to take over from him?” you asked.

The commander sighed. “So the bomb exploded, so to say.”

“It did.”

“I am afraid I can’t help you in this case, miss -L/N-,” she said while giving you a sad smile. “Agent Maxwell is deep undercover, and there are no other agents that I would trust with your case.”

You leaned back in your chair and sighed. “I see.”

“May I ask what happened?”

“I found out what Agent Chang did to have me fired,” you said, your tone turning cold.

“At that time we had reason to believe you were suffering from PTSD.”

“I wasn’t,” you said truthfully. “And besides that, PTSD is not a reason to fire someone.”

“According to agent Chang you were no longer able to do fieldwork. Your feelings for him would interfere with your work,” she replied. “I am sorry about the situation, Miss -Y/N-.”

You sighed again. You knew Une wasn’t going to help you. “Alright. If I kill him, it will be your fault.”

That caused her to laugh. “We’ll see if it will ever get that far.”

You disconnected the VID-phone and got up, making your way into the hallway again. You were just about to head up the stairs, when Wufei appeared in the doorway to the living room. You stood regarding each other in silence for a while, and you contemplated what to do. You could see his quiet apology reflected in his gaze, but it wouldn’t be enough for you.

“I called Une,” you said coolly, “to ask for a new bodyguard, but it seems that I’m stuck with you.”

“I see.” His voice was quiet. 

“I can’t believe you actually went that far to have me fired,” you continued. “It was a low move and I don’t think I can ever look past what you did.”

“So I will live with the consequences.”

You narrowed your gaze at him. “I will tolerate your presence during the colony tour, but during the times that I am safe I want you to stay the hell away from me.”

You stormed up the stairs, knowing the knowledge that you wouldn’t forgive him wouldn’t sit easy with him. He considered himself an honorable man and your grudge against him would be a spot on his reputation. He would work to get you to forgive him. And although you were sure you couldn’t, it would be nice to see him squirm.

**\- End part 1 -**


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is part 2! I can promise you that you won’t have to wait as long for part 3! Please let me know what you think of the story! I’d love to hear from you! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**The dream is still alive  
Part 2**

_ESUN shuttle, Outer Space, AC 205_

“Suppose I went there with you, would it make a difference?”

“You’re not going period. It’s too dangerous out there for you.”

“But Heero…”

“This is L2 we’re talking about. It’s not safe.”

You rolled your eyes and tried to ignore the ongoing argument between your boss and her bodyguard, trying to focus on the book in your lap. Three more hours and you would finally reach your destination. Relena had been pushing Heero over the matter since the beginning of the flight yesterday and you were very tempted to yell at both of them. 

“You’re insufferable!” Relena stomped her foot and balled her hands into fists at her sides.

You sighed and turned a page. “Three more hours,” you muttered to yourself. “Don’t kill them.”

Wufei’s amused chuckle pulled your attention away from your novel and you raised your head to look at him. He was seated at the other side of the aisle, a magazine in his lap, and those annoyingly smart looking reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. You had almost forgotten about him using them occasionally. God, he made a really, really sexy nerd.

A sexy nerd you weren’t on speaking terms with at the moment. He respected your wishes and kept his distance from you, and the weekend spent at his apartment had been eerily silent. You had told yourself it was a good way for him to self-reflect on how he had screwed up. 

“How do you expect me to protect you in such an area? We can’t rely much on -Y/N- to back me up at this time.”

“Hey!” you snapped at them while raising your fist in the air. “Leave me out of it, please!”

“Shut up,” Heero deadpanned.

“Bite me.”

“The point is,” Heero continued, unfazed by your sarcasm, “that you’re not getting your way and you’re not liking it.”

“Don’t treat me like a spoiled brat, Heero Yuy!”

You rolled your eyes once again and made mimicking hand motions to imitate Relena talking. God, couldn’t she just jump him and get it over with? It would kill your chances with Heero, but at least they would both be silent. 

“I don’t have to take this from you!”

“You do, because I’m in charge of your security.”

“Hey,” you said to Wufei. “How do you read with their bickering?”

Now that your chances at reading were successfully killed, you might as well try a conversation with him. Relena and Heero were no fun, and trying to aggravate Wufei seemed a lesser evil than facing Heero Yuy’s death glare.

“It’s a matter of focus,” Wufei replied easily. 

The argument in the next cabin grew more heated as Relena raised her voice in a rare show of loss of control. The thin walls and open door didn’t help the situation any. 

“Jesus Christ!” you exclaimed and got up, stomping over to the door opening. 

Relena and Heero stood facing each other in the kitchenette, both furious. Relena’s cheeks were flushed with her anger and she was visibly shaking with it too. Heero was a cold as the North Pole, but his eyes glared fiery daggers at the petite woman in front of him. 

“I’ve had it with both of you!” you snapped at them, alerting both them to your presence. “Go kiss and make up or something, but do it where I can’t fucking hear you!”

Relena went beet red, having the decency to look mortified. Heero merely looked amused at your outburst. 

“Actually, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” he said dryly.

To your utter shock, he grabbed Relena’s wrist and yanked her closer to him, and he planted a firm kiss against her slackened lips. You stood gaping at them, then regained your wits and slammed the door to the kitchenette closed. 

“Fucking Hell!” You whirled around and went back to your seat. You were muttering to yourself again as you sat down. “There goes my chance.”

“But they are silent, at least,” Wufei said, amusement clear in his voice.

“Yeah, yeah.” You groaned and rubbed your temples, falling silent as you realized you were now alone with Wufei.

You crossed your arms and looked out of the window, gazing into the darkness of outer space. The vast emptiness was eerie and beautiful at the same time. It had been a while since you had flown into outer space, the L5 mission the last time you had set foot in a space bound shuttle. And now you were returning there. It was the place where the colony tour would start and it didn’t hold good memories for you. 

You sighed deeply and fidgeted with the hem of the thin sweater you were wearing. You’d change before docking, since you always preferred to be comfortable during flights. For now the loose clothes provided more breathing space than the tight business suits. 

“Are you okay with going back there?” Wufei asked you suddenly.

You gave him a sharp look. “Are you?”

L5 was the place where he came from and although he had never completely opened up to you about his past, you knew it hadn’t been easy. L5 held bad memories for him too. 

He shrugged. “I’ll endure.”

“So will I.” 

You’d show him that you were strong and that his conclusion of you suffering from PTSD was unfounded. And besides… You had the written statement from your psychologist that contradicted his belief. 

“Will you tell me if you get uncomfortable?” he asked you.

You sighed and crossed your arms over your chest, narrowing your eyes into a glare. “Wufei, I’m not suffering from PTSD. The only thing that makes me uncomfortable right now is your idea that I am.”

He opened his mouth to argue with you but you were quick to cut him off.

“I’ve seen a psychologist after L5.”

“Oh.” His brows drew together in a frown, and he turned his attention back to the article he had been reading. “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what you get when you betray your friends.” Your voice was utterly cool as you delivered that statement. “Then you’ll miss the important stuff.”

His weary sigh was not lost on you. You watched how he closed his eyes and took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose as if trying to keep off a headache. You wondered if he was weary of you holding his mistake against him, or of himself making that mistake in the first place. Knowing him, it probably was the first. He firmly believed he didn’t make mistakes. But there had been that apologetic look he had given you after the gala. He had even said that if the situation were to have happened now, he would have reacted differently. You quickly killed your thought process. He still stood by the decision he made back then and you were going to hold onto that like it was your life anchor. 

“If you’re trying to make me feel guilty, it’s working,” he grumbled.

“Good,” you said sarcastically. “It’s nice to know you have a conscience after all.”

He opened his eyes and met your gaze, the fierce glare stunning you. “Can’t you let it go?”

“No.” You gave him a sickly sweet smile. “I’m stuck with this desk job because of you. So unless you find a way to undo your mistake, I won’t.”

“You said yourself that Une is not going to hire you again.”

“No, because she trusted your judgement, faulty as it may have been back then,” you said. “Maybe you can be nice and tell her you made a mistake.”

He heaved another sigh, but this one was out of frustration. 

“Come on, Wufei,” you said. “It won’t kill you if you admit you were wrong.”

“You came to me and confessed that you loved me. There were rumors everywhere about how you reacted on L5,” he said. “Everything I heard let me to believe that your feelings for me clouded your judgement and let you behave irrationally.”

“Irrationally?” you snapped. “You asshole! You were dying and I was getting ready to save your life before Johnson got to us!”

“Alright! Alright!” he snapped back. “So you did not panic. I get it.”

“And?”

“And nothing.”

You ground your teeth in frustration and got up, pacing up and down the aisle between the seats. You were so tempted, oh so tempted, to slap some sense into him. But you doubted it would work. He had a thick skull as he had just demonstrated. Your feelings for him had caused you to lose his respect, so he wasn’t going to apologize to you. Fuck him.

“Sit down, will you?” 

You shot him a glare and continued moving. 

“-Y/N-, I’m serious.” The impatience in his voice was clear.

You halted when you heard him get up behind you and whirled around to snap at him. You froze, however, when you realized how close he had moved in on you. He was so close you could feel his body heat, smell that enticing scent. You slowly raised your eyes to his face and found him just as startled by the attraction as you were. Oh Lord, why now?

“I thought I told you I wanted you to stay away from me,” you said, but instead of sounding firm, your voice was soft.

“I know,” he murmured, his tone husky. “But as you are not listening to me either, I don’t see the point."

You took a trembling breath when his fingers touched your cheek and tore your gaze away from his. Your stomach was in knots and you almost feared that he could hear the frantic beating of your heart. Part of you wanted, so badly, to give in. To touch, to explore, to uncover any secret he had kept from you. But your more rational side was screaming at you to keep your focus. 

“I can’t,” you said quietly. 

“Why not?”

“I can’t let you in again.” You met his darkened gaze again, wanting to see his reaction. Wanting to see how he took rejection. “It almost destroyed me the first time.”

His gaze darkened, if possibly, even more. But it wasn’t with lust. You recognized jealously on any man. “Was that why you chose Heero?”

“Heero has nothing to do with this,” you said, pressing your hand against his chest to ensure some distance. To your surprise, his heart thundered against your fingers, telling you he had no control over his body. 

“Hasn’t he?” Wufei questioned you, while slipping his arm around your waist. He pulled you flush against him, effectively caging you in his grip. “I think he has everything to do with this. You’re afraid so you chose a man who you can’t love.”

“So?” You snapped at him, struggling in his hold. “I’m trying to be rational here.”

He chuckled, the sound of his laughter dark and mocking. “Right.”

“Fuck you, Wufei! Let me go!” You thumped a fist against his chest, when he forced you backwards.

He was relentless however, and didn’t stop until your back hit the cabin wall separating you from the cockpit. He pressed close to you, his hands gripping your arms, lowering his head until his mouth was pressed against your ear. “Coward.”

You went rigid. “Why are you doing this?”

His teeth dug into your earlobe, sending sparks down your spine. You squeezed your eyes shut and desperately willed your body not to react. 

“Wufei, please,” you pleaded. “Let me go.”

He pulled back to look at you, his hand cupping your cheek. “Why? So you can run again?”

You narrowed your eyes in a glare. “You’re just doing this to destroy me, aren’t you? You want to prove I’m still weak when it comes to you.”

“What are you talking about, Woman?”

“Don’t ‘woman’ me,” you snapped at him. You hated it when he did that, as if he was a superior being by just being a man.

He leaned in until his nose almost touched yours, his breath washing over your face. “Do you think I kissed you just to spite you?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you,” you retorted while jutting out your chin in defiance.

“Damn it, that’s not why.”

He yanked you close and crushed his mouth to yours, effectively keeping you from voicing any reply. His urgency shocked you. He practically invaded your mouth, his tongue exploring, teasing, and willing you to respond. His grip on your arms gentled, and he slid his hands down in a teasing caress. His fingers entwined with yours, and he brought your hands up to press against the wall beside your head. Pressed so close to him, you could clearly feel the effect the kiss had on him and that made your knees go weak. You sagged against him, surrendering to him without a second thought. But the moment you gave in, the kiss gentled. He gentled, and it confused you more than his passion ever could. 

He stopped you from pulling away by cupping both your cheeks, letting go of your hands in the process. The intimacy of the kiss left you reeling, trembling, and without any sense of place and time. A quiet moan escaped you when he drew your bottom lip into his mouth and gently sucked on it. Your hands came up, slipping around his neck and up, into his hair. His mouth left yours, leaving a blazing trail of tender kisses over your cheek to your ear. 

“Do you understand now?” he asked.

You opened your eyes, having no memory of ever closing them, and found him looking at you. You felt naked under his questioning stare, so you leaned forward, resting your forehead against his shoulder. "I…”

“I kissed you, because I wanted to.”

You swallowed thickly. “Why now?”

“I don’t know.” His honesty was brutal, telling you that, despite that fact that he seemed more in control of the situation than you were, he was just as confused. 

“You hurt me,” you whispered. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you nearly destroyed me. I don’t know if I can trust you again.”

He rested his cheek against your hair for a moment, and his arms slipped around your waist. 

“I understand,” he said finally, before stepping back. “So I’ll give you time.”

You wanted to shake your head, wanted to tell him that giving you time wouldn’t change a damn thing, but the words were stuck in your throat. Unable to look at him, you quickly darted around him and moved further back into the shuttle, towards the sleeping cabins. You locked yourself up in the one that held your suitcase and wondered how the hell you were supposed to deal with this situation.

-x-x-x-

“Over here we have the dining hall. Dinner is a meal we have together every night.”

You followed Relena and the woman in charge of the orphanage in a more leisured pace, enjoying the laughter and squeals of the children around you. The orphanage wasn’t large, but it was well cared for, the building holding a welcoming atmosphere. There were drawings pinned to the walls, as well as countless pictures. All the children, given that you were in the L5 colony cluster, were of Chinese decent, and you intently listened to their mixture of Chinese and English, trying to pick up the words you knew. 

You gave Wufei a sidelong glance, trying to gauge his reaction to the orphanage of his home colony cluster. His face was impassive, however, and it was impossible to read him. After the encounter on the shuttle, you had remained in your cabin until docking; only emerging when Relena had called for you to join her. You hadn’t dared to meet Wufei’s gaze during the car ride from the shuttle port to the orphanage. You didn’t want him to know how much that kiss had affected you. More than ever you were confused. And you were thinking about it again. This wasn’t doing you any good. More than ever you prayed for a distraction. Anything to keep your mind off of it.

It came when a toddler broke away from a group of playing children, running in your direction on sturdy little feet, a broad smile on his face. A warm smile formed on your face when the boy wrapped his arms around your leg, grinning up at you with mischievous brown eyes. You felt an instant connection with the boy, who was looking at you so hopefully it made your heart ache.

“Ni Hao!” he said brightly. “Māma?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” you said affectionately. 

“Jimmy!” The young woman in charge of watching the children moved forward, a horrified look on her face.

But you gave her a friendly smile, before crouching down in front of the boy. “It’s okay.”

Immediately the toddler wrapped his arms around your neck, his smile brightening. You lifted him up, settling him onto your hip, before continuing your way. The boy babbled on, his head comfortably nestled against your shoulder, but you couldn’t understand anything he was saying. You had picked up some Mandarin words and phrases from Wufei a few years ago, but your vocabulary was very limited. Besides hello, thank you, and goodbye (and granted, a few curse words you had wheedled out of your former partner after a few bottles of Sinkiang black beer), you couldn’t speak or understand anything. You turned to Wufei and gave him a pleading look.

The look in his eyes was anything you had ever seen before. There was warmth in the onyx depths, something you had missed seeing there. But it seemed to run deeper than three years ago. It made your breath catch in your lungs and your heart stop right in your chest. 

“What is he saying?” you asked, when you managed to find your voice.

A small smile came to play over his face, as if he guessed what you were feeling at that moment. “He is asking if you’re his new mother.”

You swallowed thickly, realizing the boy would probably be heartbroken when you left the orphanage. You tightened your grip on him and nuzzled his black, spiky hair, the affection coming easily. You loved kids, loved to hold them, but this boy had something special. Something that spoke to you.

“You have to tell him I can’t be his mother,” you said softly. “It will hurt him when I leave otherwise.”

You listened as Wufei spoke to the boy, the Mandarin rolling of his tongue easily. But instead of the sad reaction you had expected from the child, he seemed even more ecstatic. He started squirming in your hold, his little arms reaching out to Wufei, while an excited stream of staccato phrases tumbled from his lips. You chuckled when he nearly made you lose your balance, and you quickly turned to your bodyguard, the child latching onto his neck with a large grin. 

“Bàba!” 

Wufei looked shocked and you were quick to catch on. You gave a delighted laugh. “Did he just call you Daddy?”

You had never, not once in your years as his partner, seen Wufei blush. And yet here he was, his cheeks tinting pink as the toddler still clutched in your arms, but with his arm around Wufei’s neck, giggled excitedly. Over the boy’s head, your gazes met, and once again you were left breathless. 

Not good, you thought helplessly. Not good at all.

You saw him lean in and wisely took a step back, and the toddler gave a disgruntled shout when he had to let go of Wufei. You carefully lowered him to the ground and took his hand, giving him a small smile.

“Let’s walk, okay?” you told him. 

You watched, totally endeared, when the boy reached for Wufei’s hand with his free one. A warm smile spread on your face as Wufei took it, and the boy started walking, giving a tug on your hand as he led you into the dining hall. 

You had never seen Wufei like this. Was this what he meant when he said that people changed? What had happened in the past three years for him to loosen up and react to a child so easily? You had never dared to imagine how he would be with children, not even when you had been so foolishly in love with him. It had always seemed such an abstract idea, one you had never considered. 

Relena turned towards you when she heard you enter the dining hall, and a smile spread on her face as she saw the child.

“Sorry,” you said as you reached her. “We made a little friend on the way.”

You saw how Heero gave Wufei a telling smirk, and how Wufei sent him a nasty glare in return. Thankfully, Relena didn’t see, as she was too busy smiling at the child that still clutched your and Wufei’s hands. 

“He’s adorable,” she said with a little, wistful sigh. 

“He is,” you agreed, while stroking a hand over his spiky hair. “I’d almost take him with me.”

The lady giving the tour gave you an excited smile, seeing an opportunity. “If you’re interested in adopting, we could sit down and see if a procedure can be started.”

“What? No. We can’t,” you exclaimed, while exchanging a shocked look with Wufei. You made a vague gesture with your hand in Wufei’s direction. “He is just my bodyguard.”

“My apologies,” the woman said, the smile leaving her face. 

“It’s okay,” you said awkwardly, trying to look anywhere but at the people surrounding you. 

You felt uncomfortable with the attention, and the idea that the woman had thought you and Wufei to be a couple, let alone be a couple that might want to adopt a child. The idea almost sent your mind spinning.

“I don’t think this lady is going to let me walk out of the orphanage with a child anyway,” Wufei told you under his breath. “If she’d know my origins, she’d kick me out and lock the doors.”

A nervous giggle escaped you when you realized he’d meant it as a joke, but deep inside you felt that his words held an underlying truth. 

“You can’t be serious,” you told him.

He gave a shrug. “I come from a clan that was feared by the complete L5 cluster.”

“You never told me,” you said softly. “Even when I asked.”

“I know,” he murmured. 

The tour through the orphanage continued and was concluded in the large playroom, where Relena presented the children with the boxes with toys and clothes. The young woman from before quickly came to take the child that had attached himself to your leg again.

“I’m sorry,” she said in accented English. “Jimmy never did this before.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” you hurried to assure her. “He’s a charmer.”

“I’ll ask him to draw for you,” she said.

The thought of having a reminder of the wonderful boy had you smiling. “I’d like that.”

You helped Relena pass out the toys and clothes, sending the children in a status of rapture over their new items. You selected a brown teddy bear from the lot to give to Jimmy later on, and gave it to Wufei to hold it for you.

“Don’t lose this,” you told him. “It’s for Jimmy.”

He eyed the teddy bear almost disdainfully, but took it anyway as you were busy again. Relena was smiling widely as the children hugged and thanked her, and a few gave you shy smiles as well. The chaos in the room finally quieted as the children settled down and began to sing a song. The sound of the children’s voices together was lovely and made you smile.

“It’s a traditional children’s song,” Wufei said, earning a look from the woman in charge of the orphanage. “It’s about finding a friend. It’s still common for children to sing it here on L5.”

“You know a lot,” the woman said. “Are you from L5?”

“I am,” Wufei confirmed. 

For a moment, you wondered how much he would reveal, but the woman turned her attention back to her children. After a few more songs, the children were allowed to play again and Jimmy came running towards you with a sheet of paper clutched in his little fist.

“Māma!” he exclaimed excitedly and proudly showed you his drawing.

You picked him up and settled him on your hip, examining the colorful scratched lines and shapes on the paper. “It’s wonderful, Jimmy. Xie Xie.”

He beamed up at you and then turned his head to grin at Wufei. You held out your hand to Wufei, taking the teddy bear from him. 

“This is for you,” you told Jimmy, while handing him the bear.

He squealed and wrapped his arms around the stuffed animal, resting his head against its soft head. You swallowed thickly at his obvious happiness. It wouldn’t be easy to leave him here, you thought. He was so wonderful. 

Relena started on her round of goodbyes, and you handed Jimmy back to his caregiver, seeing the confusion in those brown eyes settle. You stroked a hand over his head and pressed a kiss against his soft cheek. 

“Zàijiàn,” you said softly. 

As predicted, tears formed in the boy’s eyes, and he gave a heartfelt wail when the young woman carried him away. You pressed a hand over your mouth and blinked rapidly against the burning sensation in your eyes, not willing to cry in front of the children, and the few reporters that were present. They would write about Relena handing out presents to the children, not her personal assistant breaking down over a little boy. 

Wufei’s hand settled on the small of your back as he led you out of the building, and the gesture gave you more comfort than you had ever expected from him. 

In the limousine, you sniffled and furiously dabbed at your eyes. Relena wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you murmured. “I kinda feel stupid. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“It sort of felt like love at first sight.” You shook your head as if to clear it. “I felt so bad for him when he started crying.”

Relena gave you a sympathetic smile. 

It suddenly occurred to you that you hadn’t been able to ask her about what had transpired between her and Heero on the shuttle. As soon as you’d get to the hotel, you’d ask her. Your chances with Heero might have been lost, but if that meant that your boss would be happy, you were okay with it. Besides, you didn’t want to get involved with Heero while Wufei was messing with your head. 

And messing with your head he was. Big time. You had told yourself, over and over again, that you weren’t going to let him in again. But after seeing him today, in the orphanage, and how he had reacted to that wonderful, little boy, you saw him in a whole new light. And your heart, as closely guarded as you had kept it for the past three years, had warmed towards him again. It was a startling discovery and made unease settle in your belly. 

He may have said that he had changed, but he still was the man that had betrayed you. You weren’t sure if you’d ever be able to cope with that. 

-x-x-x-

“So, for tomorrow, I have the talk show on the program,” Relena said, while trying to stifle a yawn. “You can take time off. I won’t be back until after dinner time, so just go and enjoy yourself.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to be there?” you asked her.

She gave you a smile and nodded. “You did all the preparations. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright. I’ll go and let Wufei know.” 

You got up and walked into the living area of the two bedroom suite that had been rented for the occasion. Wufei was sprawled out on the couch, a book in his hands. His reading glasses were on the coffee table, and he seemed utterly relaxed. 

“I got tomorrow off,” you told him as you poured yourself a glass of water from the canister that sat on the side table next to the couch. 

“Hmm…” He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then slowly sat up. “Actually, there is somewhere I want to go. Will you join me?”

“I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” you said, while seating yourself at the other end of the couch. “Where do you want to go?”

“A0206. We can catch the flight in the morning and be back around dinner time.”

You almost wanted to protest. A0206 was a ramshackle colony, still under heavy reconstruction after being destroyed during the war, and although various attempts had been made to improve its condition, it was a long and tiring project that would keep Relena in her office until nighttime at least once a month. Negotiations with the inhabitants were long and difficult, giving their history and pride and… wait a minute.

“Are you from A0206?” you asked.

It would explain so much to you. From his ranting on justice from time to time, his pride that bordered on arrogance, and the sometimes downright sexist remarks he had thrown in your direction during your rookie days. He had grown up there, and had applied the teachings of his elders to his daily life. 

“Yes. Stop looking like you just solved a puzzle.”

“I did. Sort of,” you said. You sipped your water. “It explains a lot, I guess.”

A black eyebrow rose in question and you chuckled, tucking your feet under you as you got comfortable on the couch. 

“Care to elaborate?”

“It explains you. Or the past you,” you said on second thought. “Now, I’m not so sure anymore.”

“Why?”

You gave a shrug. “You seem different.”

“I told you I was.”

“Miscalculation on my part, I guess.”

He smirked and shook his head in disbelief. “I still don’t understand you.”

“Likewise.”

“So what? You thought you had me all figured out, didn’t you?” He sounded amused. “It’s good to know I still can surprise you.”

You rolled your eyes. “Don’t be too sure of that.”

The familiar banter made you relax, and you easily slipped back in the role you used to assume in your discussions with him three years ago. You moved to put your empty glass on the table and froze when he grabbed your hand. He yanked you towards him, the glass tumbling to the carpet, and you barely managed to keep yourself from yelping when your body collided with his. 

“Wufei,” you protested halfheartedly when he leaned in to kiss you. 

“What now?” 

“You said you’d give me time.”

“You are being given ample time,” he countered smoothly. “But I like to try and convince you.”

Your next protest was smothered by his mouth and you surrendered with a quiet moan. After the orphanage and that new view of his character, you couldn’t help it. And so you indulged, slipping your arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. He lowered himself down on the couch and pulled you with him, and you gasped into his mouth as you were forced to straddle his hips. One of his hands cupped your cheek, sliding into your hair to tangle there, while he practically invaded your mouth. 

You were helpless against the force of your desire for him. It had been locked up for three years while you had tried to come to terms with the idea that Wufei would never want you. Being given the opportunity to touch and explore now nearly made you incoherent. You had a hard time convincing yourself that this was real, that it was really happening, and that it really was his body you were pressed up against.

A violent shiver racked your body when he slid his hand under your blouse, his fingers coming to rest against the small of your back. His touch was gentle, teasing, and made your body heat up. You drew back from the kiss to look at him, saw the lust burning in his gaze. It drove you to touch him so you unlocked your arms from around his neck and sat up, trailing your hand down his chest. You could feel his heart beating rapidly against your fingers, and his muscles jumped at your touch through the material of his shirt. You pushed it up to his midriff, exposing the golden skin of his abdomen, before teasingly trailing your fingers down over the ridges of muscles there. God, he was magnificent. His skin felt soft, velvet over steel, and the idea that you were touching him had liquid desire pool between your legs. 

You shifted your hips restlessly; earning a grunt of approval at the friction it created, and were pulled down for another heated kiss. You kissed him back, hungry for the taste of him, your hand slipping under his shirt to touch his chest. He broke away from the kiss and hissed when you scraped your nails over a nipple, and you took the opportunity to nip along his jawline. You trailed a path to his ear, gently biting down on the lobe.

Behind you, someone cleared his throat and you shot up right, your cheeks flooding with color as you realized where you were. Heero was watching you from the open doorway, a smirk forming on his face as he took in the state you were in. You felt utterly horrified and humiliated and quickly scrambled off of Wufei, running into your bedroom and slamming and locking the door behind you. 

Through the door you could hear the men’s muffled voices, and then there was a knock on your door. “-Y/N-, it’s me.”

“Oh God.” You pressed your hands against your burning cheeks. What were you going to say?

Wufei knocked again. “Open the door.”

You took a deep breath and unlocked door, opening it but not daring to meet his gaze. 

“Can I come in?”

You stepped back and closed the door behind him, wrapping your arms around yourself as you turned around to face him.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered.

He stepped closer and took hold of your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. “For what?”

You bit your lip and dropped your gaze, suddenly feeling shy. You made a gesture with your hand. “For what happened.”

“There were two people on that couch, if I remember correctly,” he said, unwilling to let you take the blame. “And besides that, I don’t really give a damn about Heero seeing us.”

If this were to have transpired three years ago, he would have cared. He would have been horrified about being caught in such a position. He had thrown you off again, surprising you by coming after you and being completely civil. 

You took a deep breath and shook your head in an attempt to clear it. “I no longer know what to expect.”

He gave you a small smile. “Where’s the fun in that?”

You gave a shrug and smiled back at him. “You’re right.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…” You murmured. “But I’d rather not be caught like that again. I can’t afford to lose another job.”

He scoffed and pulled you close, leaning in to brush a kiss over your cheek. “Who says Relena is going to fire you?”

“Who knows,” you said quietly. 

“Woman, stop being so unsure.”

“I hate it when you call me that,” you said, while giving him a mock glare.

He chuckled. “You don’t. It makes you want to fight back.”

“You seem pretty sure of yourself, Chang.” You gave him a cocky smile and pricked a finger into his chest. “What if you’re wrong?”

“We’ll find out, won’t we?” He gave you a smirk. “Be ready tomorrow after breakfast. We leave at ten sharp.”

The sudden change of subject had you blinking, and before you could react, he pressed a kiss against your lips and left the room, leaving you stupefied and wondering what the hell had happened for Wufei Chang to change so much.

-x-x-x-

You knew everything there was to know about A0206. The colony had been the home of the feared Long clan, a clan of Mandarin origins that hung on to traditions and were known to be fierce warriors, skilled in martial arts. During the war, the elders leading the colony had blown it up, believing it to be their best course of action to keep it out of OZ’s hands. After the war, the ESUN invested in having the colony rebuild. People that had lived on the colony before the explosion had returned, but conditions were far from good. Parts of the colony were still under construction, not to be completed in another five years, and the systems would still malfunction from time to time.

You followed Wufei through the streets, curious to see where he would take you. While he made a relaxed impression, you could tell he felt somewhat uneasy. It might have been three years, but you could still read him. His sharp gaze darted around before he mentioned you to follow him to the opposite side of the street, passed a temple. 

Behind the temple was a graveyard, and your curiosity grew when you followed Wufei onto it.

“It’s quite remarkable what they managed to salvage from the old colony,” you said, as you took in the graves spread around you. 

“Hmm.” 

Wufei was busy looking around, and you watched as his gaze narrowed, before he set course to a set of gravestones in the back. You stepped up behind him and blinked when he knelt down in front of one of the stones. The grave stone was covered in Chinese characters, so you were unable to figure out who was buried here. Wufei was silent, his head bowed, his hand on the slab of stone. 

You reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder, and smiled when his hand came up to cover yours.

“Who is buried here?” you asked softly, while moving to kneel down next to him.

He gave you a wry smile. “My wife.”

“I beg your pardon?” You were sure you hadn’t heard him correctly.

“You heard me,” he said. 

“You were married?”

“As per custom,” he said. “As an heir to the Long clan I had to marry an heiress. I married her in AC 194.”

“But…” You quickly did the math. “You were just a child.”

“It was tradition,” he gave a shrug. “I abided by the laws of the clan, although I wasn’t interested so much in fighting as the rest of them. It was mine and Meilan’s biggest point of dispute.”

“Has there ever been a woman in your life that you could get along with?”

He gave you an amused look and took your hand in his. “I thought we were getting along just fine.”

You smiled and leaned against him, resting your head on his shoulder. “Yeah.”

“She died before the war.” He was silent for a while, before continuing. “And I went to Earth to fight and honor her.”

“I see.” 

“I haven’t been here for a long time,” he said, his tone turning regretful. 

“But you are here now,” you told him, while giving his hand a squeeze. You smiled when he rested his cheek against your hair. 

“I’m still the heir to the Long clan,” he told you. “If the elders had been alive they would have disapproved of you.”

And with that he handed you another piece of the puzzle. Your conclusion that, after the war, he had continued to live his life according to the traditions of this colony had been correct. Maybe that was why, three years ago, your confession had angered him. Your feelings for him didn’t match the black and white guidelines of his clan’s lifestyle. And maybe it was also the reason why he had not considered you before. The clan would not approve, so Wufei had never thought of you as more as a friend.

“You know…” you murmured softly. “Now that I know you’re from here, it’s so much easier to understand the decisions you made in the past.”

“I’ve made wrong decisions too,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

The apology was heartfelt and honest. It was what you had been waiting for.

“And I know that ‘I’m sorry’ is not going to cut it,” he continued. “But I hope that you will forgive me one day.”

“I’m working on it,” you told him. 

Your smile widened, and you sighed contently when he pressed a kiss against your temple. 

“We should go,” he said. “We have to be back before dinner.”

“Hmm…”

You let him pull you up and could barely contain your smile when he kept hold of your hand all the way back to the shuttle port.

-x-x-x-

The colony tour continued, and you found yourself traveling from colony to colony. After visiting various colonies in the L5 cluster, you travelled to the L2 cluster for a weeklong visit. It didn’t go unnoticed that the security was getting tighter around you and Relena. You found the door to the hotel rooms being flanked by two Preventer agents at all times, and there now was an extra team of agents traveling with you whenever you left the hotel to visit the planned sights. It was probably because L2 still wasn’t as safe as Preventer wanted it to be, but something told you it had also to do with the fact that you were a target as well.

Wufei seemed more on edge than the previous week, and although you had tried to coax him into talking, he had just brushed you off. It confirmed your suspicions about the situation having to do with you, and as a result of that, the intimacy you had managed to obtain had disappeared. Wufei seemed indifferent to you, and that frustrated you. Yes, you had told him you didn’t want to be caught in another compromising situation, but that didn’t mean he had to give you the cold shoulder. 

It was a frustrating situation to deal with. You felt like a sitting duck, waiting for Devlin to catch you. You were tired of feeling useless. And so you slowly started putting you skillset to use. You became more alert yourself, scanning your surroundings as you worked, making sure you had your gun on you at all times. During the evenings, you locked yourself up in your room and used you laptop to find info on Devlin. It was difficult to track him without having the Preventer database to rely on, but you found some leads that told you had been seen on L3, which put him far away from you.

The colony tour would end on L3, so if Devlin wanted a confrontation, it was likely that he would wait for you to reach the colony cluster. It would give you ample time to come up with a plan. 

The living room in the hotel suite was empty when you left your bedroom. You heard Relena’s muffled voice coming from her room, so you assumed she was on the phone. You walked over to the minibar and opened it, retrieving a can of Pepsi. Just as you were about to head back to your room, the door opened and Heero walked in. He grunted at you in greeting and stripped off his Preventer jacket.

“Hey,” you said, while holding out a second can of Pepsi. “Want one?”

“Thanks.” He took the can from you and looked you up and down, taking in the sweats and too big T-shirt that you were wearing. “Planning to turn in early?”

You shrugged. “I was reading in my room. And now I’m bored.”

“Aah.” He tapped his can against yours. “Cheers.”

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

He raised an eyebrow at you in question and you sighed with frustration.

“Come on, Heero,” you said. “I ain’t stupid and I know the protocol. Something is going on or we wouldn’t have the extra agents running around.”

Heero gave a shrug. “L2 is still a dangerous place.”

You snapped your fingers. “Okay, but that’s no biggie. Now I want the real reason.”

He gave you a smirk. “Can’t fool you I see.”

“Duh, I was an agent myself once.” 

“Why don’t you ask Wufei?”

“I tried, but it’s kinda hard talking to a brick wall.” You crossed your arms in front of your chest. 

Heero chuckled. “He’s been a little edgy.”

“So… Are you gonna tell me?”

“We have reason to believe Devlin has a guy here that’s out to get you.” 

You sighed. “I see.”

“He hasn’t made a move yet, but we’re just being extra cautious,” Heero explained. “You don’t have to worry.”

You took a sip from your drink, maintaining a calm front, but on the inside you were boiling. Why hadn’t Wufei told you? Damn it, he was supposed to be the one to protect you, and yet Heero was the one who disclosed such information to you.

“So…” Heero drawled. “What’s the deal between you and him anyway?”

You smirked. “Why does it matter?”

“I take it our deal is off then?”

“It was off the moment you put your moves on Relena.”

He chuckled. “Thought so.”

You both looked up when the door to the suite opened again. Wufei walked in and came to an abrupt halt when he saw you and Heero. His eyes narrowed into a glare and then he stormed off into his room.

You blinked. “What was that?”

“I have no idea,” Heero said. “I’ll go and see if Relena is ready to go.”

“Hmm…” You checked your watch. 

She had to be. She had a dinner meeting scheduled with some colony representatives. As it wasn’t a formal meeting, you weren’t required to attend, leaving you stuck in the hotel suite. As on cue, she emerged from her bedroom, clad in a dark blue pencil skirt and a cream colored blouse. She looked stunning, and gave you a smile as she approached you. 

“I’m ready,” she told Heero.

“Hn. Let’s go.”

“See you later,” you told them.

Relena gave you a grin. “Don’t go too crazy on the room service.”

“Don’t worry.”

Bloodshed and murder was a way more likely option.

As soon as the door fell shut behind them, you started pacing up and down the living room, trying to calm the anger that was still coursing through your system. You heard the shower run in the bathroom, so you knew there was no way you could confront Wufei until he got out. You waited well until after the shower was turned off. As soon as you heard him enter his bedroom again, you stomped over and threw open the door. He was just pulling his wet hair up in its usual bun after his shower, and seemed surprised by your sudden entry.

You snarled and pointed a finger at him, the door slamming shut behind you. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me about the situation?”

The surprise turned into a glare. “What situation?”

“Heero said there are rumors about Devlin’s men being here to get to me.” You crossed your arms in front of your chest and glared at him. 

Wufei’s shoulders tensed at your mentioning of Heero and he mirrored your stance. “Seems like you had an awful lot to discuss with him while I was out.”

“Oh, fuck you!” you exclaimed angrily. “I don’t have to take this from you!”

“If you have questions about your security, you’re supposed to ask me.”

“I tried that! Jeez! But you were freezing me out. What the hell was I supposed to do?”

You watched how his jaw locked, his glare deepening. “You’re not supposed to run off to your boss’ bodyguard to ask him.”

“Oh, you’re absolutely right!” you said with a mock gasp. “What if he decided to take over from you?”

“This isn’t funny, - Y/N-!” His voice rose with his barely restrained fury. 

“You’re not pissed because I asked someone else,” you said coolly as realization dawned. “You’re pissed because I asked Heero.”

“Damn right!”

The slightly hysteric laughter that threatened to well up was hard to contain. “I can’t believe you! Don’t you trust me?”

“You were interested in him, weren’t you?”

Your mouth fell open in disbelief and you surged forward to give him a shove. “You asshole! You fucking pursued me, while I asked you to keep your distance! You have some nerve with your assumptions!”

His eyes blazed with anger and told you that you were pushing him to his limit. But you were far from done yet. 

“So what? You think I’ll go and run off with him?” you asked. “Maybe I should. He at least talks back when I ask him something!”

A vein appeared on his temple, and he grasped your arms in a tight grip, pulling you close. He was seething, his jaw locked so tight you feared it would snap. It occurred to you that you had never seen him so angry before. When you had confessed to him three years ago, he had been frighteningly calm. This was something altogether different.

“Don’t you dare go there.” His voice was rough with his anger.

“Or what?” you challenged him. 

He swore under his breath, and tightened his grip on your arms, lifting you a few inches off the ground so your face was level with his. “I’ll have to teach you a lesson, Woman.”

“I won’t stand here and be insulted!” you snapped. 

Of course you weren’t standing. You were dangling. And the show of strength made you feel strangely excited. Color rushed up to your cheeks and you prayed that he wouldn’t see it. You felt a rush of relief when he lowered you back to the ground, a disdainful look in his eyes. 

“I’ll talk to you again when you know how to behave,” he said coolly.

You gave him a haughty look, jutting out your chin. “Suit yourself. But **you** are my bodyguard so I expect **you** to tell me when the situation gets critical.”

“I’ll tell you when it gets to that,” he bit out. “So far there is no reason for concern.”

“Fine.”

You turned around to leave the room, but stopped short when a sudden thought came to you. The move would surely throw him off, you thought with a smug smile. Your eyes got a determined glint to them when you turned back around and stormed towards him, cupping his cheeks as you leaned in to press a kiss against his lips. It was easy to deepen the kiss, as his lips slackened with shock at your sudden move. You dove in for a quick taste, before retreating just as quickly.

“There. That’ll give you something to think about before you accuse me of two timing again.”

You had barely reached the door when his hand shackled around your wrist and yanked you back towards him. You didn’t have time for any thought as his hungry mouth took possession of yours. You were caged in his arms, your hands trapped between your bodies. You were unable to push him off, so you used your weight to make him loose his balance. He stumbled, your positions reversing. His back slammed against the door and you scrambled to get a better hold of him, one hand roughly grabbing his hair, while the other curled around the fabric of the tank top he was wearing. 

His tongue seduced yours, his taste something you discovered you were already addicted to. His scent was all around you, fresh after his shower, driving you absolutely mad. His hands weren’t still either, one sliding under the fabric of your shirt to play with the clasp of your bra, while the other gripped the side of your throat, forcefully pushing your head back. 

This was nowhere near the gentleness he had shown you on the shuttle, or on the couch on L5. This was Wufei Chang without a shred of control, and you had pushed him to lose it. But you matched his speed and his roughness with your own. You pulled his tank top up, desperate to get it out of the way, and he momentarily broke the kiss to get rid of it before yanking you back against him. You moaned when his hand drifted down to squeeze your buttock, and you tightened your grip on him. You head lolled back as his mouth descended on the skin of your throat, nipping and kissing at path down to your shoulder. A shudder racked your body when his teeth dug into your skin there, no doubt leaving a mark. 

You made quick work his hair tie, freeing his hair to your hands, and you gladly buried them in the shiny black locks. His mouth came back to yours and he started backing you away from the door and towards the bed. You pulled him down on top of you when he pushed you onto the mattress, and gasped as his weight settled over you. His skin was hot to the touch, and you hurried your hands over his torso, memorizing the texture of his skin, and the sounds he made when you discovered sensitive areas. It was pure madness and it was glorifying. You strained beneath him, locking your legs around his waist to keep him close. 

The surge of pleasure that shot through you as he groaned made you arch your back. It was without a doubt the most erotic sound you had ever heard.

“Wufei,” you gasped against his lips. “Wufei, please…”

He hurried to get rid of your shirt, and his hands slid behind your back to unclasp your bra. He sat up and pulled you towards him, his mouth descending on your breast to feast. You bit down on your finger to keep yourself from crying out, wetness pooling between your legs as your nerves were set on fire. You rode each wave of pleasure with a desperate need for more, your hands clawing uselessly at his back. He arched his back and hissed when your nails dug into his skin, and you took it as your opportunity to reverse your positions. 

You grasped his shoulders as you pushed him down, straddling his hips, your lustful gaze meeting his. His eyes were black with desire, the pupils delated. There was no going back and neither did you want to. You craved this, needed it even. You needed the frenzied meeting of bodies, the roughness, to possess him. 

You scooted back and quickly undid his jeans, lowering the zipper so you could pull them down his hips. He helped you and kicked his jeans and boxers away, and then sat up to bury his face between your breasts. His breath washed over your skin, causing you to shiver uncontrollably. His fingers hooked into the waistband of your sweatpants, and you struggled to keep your position on top of him as he pulled them down. Your legs tangled in the fabric, and he quickly rolled you onto your back, yanking the pants and the lacy panties you were wearing underneath off. 

He forced your legs apart and kneeled between them, towering over you with that glorious, golden body. Muscled rippled under his skin, straining with his effort to control himself. His erection stood large and proud, pre-cum leaking from the tip, and you licked your lips at the sight of it. But he gave you no time to explore as he grabbed your legs and pulled you towards him. You wrapped your legs around his waist, not willing to let him dominate you so easily. Your hips came up, pressing against him, letting your body communicate what it so desperately needed. 

He positioned himself and you threw back your head wantonly when he pushed himself inside of you, a broken moan escaping you. You heard him grit his teeth, his body quivering with his effort to keep himself in check. He didn’t stop to let you adjust, his hips snapping as his pulled back slightly and trusted back in. Your hands tangled in his hair as you pulled him down for a kiss, your tongue tangling with his as he set a rhythm that made you see stars. Each trust of his hips brought you closer to the pinnacle, tearing gasps and moans from your throat. 

He tore his mouth away from yours and buried his face against your neck, his teeth scraping along your skin roughly. His breathing was ragged, a slight sheen of sweat forming onto his skin. The argument was now a vague memory, all you concentration focused on finding release. You raked your nails down his back, making him groan, his hips slamming against you with a force that made you cry out. You arched your back, your hips coming off the bed to press against him intimately. 

You were so close, so close, and you feared that the need would consume you completely. It only intensified when he sat up, grasping your legs to drape them over his tights, and continued his maddening rhythm. One hand came up to trail over you belly, and down, to where you were joined. The press of his thump against the engorged nub of your sex sent you soaring, and you sobbed as your orgasm tore through your body, the sensation spreading all the way to your fingers and toes. Through the haze, you heard his groan as he joined you in ecstasy, and he spilled inside of you with a rush of heat. 

You lay panting, staring up at the ceiling through glazed eyes, and wondered if you would ever feel normal again. He had completely and thoroughly ruined you. You smoothed a hand through his hair and lifted your head slightly to look at him. His hands were pressed against the mattress at your sides, as he loomed over you, his hair obscuring his face from your view. 

You had never thought, never dared to imagine that it could be so intense, so overwhelming and earth shattering. Your body was still tingling with remembrance and you whimpered when he moved and slowly pulled out of you. He looked at up at you then, and the anger and regret in his gaze made a cold feeling settle in your stomach. You sat up and reached for him, but he shook his head. He didn’t say anything as he moved off the bed and grabbed his jeans, quickly putting them on before storming out of the room.

“Wufei...” you whispered. 

His rejection hurt and it squeezed around your heart, making it difficult for you to breathe. You quickly got dressed and followed him out, your heart beating wildly with fear. You were so confused. Why had he reacted like that?

“Wufei?” You found him in the living room, pacing up and down, his hands in his hair. You approached him and carefully touched his arm.

“Don’t touch me!” he bit out, while pulling his arm away.

You took a trembling breath and when you spoke, your voice was small. “Okay.”

He didn’t meet your gaze. “This was a mistake.”

“What?!?” Hurt and anger were apparent in your tone. “Are you kidding me?”

“I’m serious.”

“You…” Your voice got caught in your throat and your vision blurred with tears. 

Unwilling to show him how much he had hurt you again, you quickly moved passed him and locked yourself up in your room. Confusion and shock swirled in your mind, and you felt as if the room was closing in on you. Your breathing was erratic as you stumbled over to the sliding door that gave way to the balcony. Too late you realized that the balcony wrapped around the hotel building, continuing on along the living room and towards the bedrooms on the other side of the suite. If Wufei decided to step out, he would hear you. And right now, you needed to get as far away from him as possible. 

You went and checked the balcony next to yours, knowing that the rest of the rooms on the floor were empty because of security reasons. You quickly pushed yourself up and clambered along the wall separating the balconies, jumping down once you made your way around it. You continued on to the next balcony, and the one after that. You heard the sounds of the television pouring out through the open door of the room beneath you. 

Wufei would be flaming pissed if he found out you had gone off without him, but you couldn’t force yourself to care anymore. You grasped hold of the railing and swung your leg over it, carefully finding your footing on the edge of the concrete. You pulled yourself over, and then checked if you could slide down and onto the balcony below. Underneath you, the streets bustled with activity. It would be a long drop down.

You slowly lowered yourself down and slid down the railing, dangling off the edge. You swung your feet, and after gaining enough speed, you let go, flinging yourself down onto the balcony below. You softly landed on the balls of your feet, and quietly moved to the open door, peering inside the room. The room’s occupant, and old man, was fast asleep in the chair in front of the television. You waited for a moment, listening for movement within the rest of the room, and then quietly crept inside as you concluded it to be empty. 

You moved to the door and opened it, before sliding through the crack. You softly closed the door behind you again and moved down the hallway. Your feet were bare, and anyone just had to take a look at your face to make a guess at what had happened. But you couldn’t care less. You needed to be outside, take a moment to gather your thoughts. 

You took the stairs down to the hotel lobby and went outside. The sidewalks were crowded with people, but on the opposite side of the street you spotted an unoccupied bench. You quickly crossed the road and sat down, burying your face in your hands as you tried to figure out what had made Wufei react like that. A tear ran down your cheek as you recalled the regret that had flashed in his gaze. Apparently, you weren’t what he wanted after all. You took a trembling breath, trying to stop the flood of emotions that was threatening to consume you. 

This was the last time that Wufei had broken your heart. You couldn’t go through this again. You had been stupid to let him in again; it was your own fault. He had seemed so different, but the cold rejection he had given you proved that he hadn’t changed at all. The passion and lust in his gaze had all been a lie. 

“Rough night?”

You quickly wiped your cheek and straightened, giving the man who had sat down on the other side of the bench a side long glance. “Something like that.”

“Just breathe. You’ll survive.”

You gave a bitter chuckle. “Yeah.”

He was smiling at you. He looked friendly, with brown hair that hung into his eyes, and an easy look to him. 

“You’re not wearing shoes,” he noticed.

“I kinda left in a hurry,” you said. 

“Be careful when you go back. The streets here are not gentle on bare feet.”

You gave him a watery smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

It was better if you went inside anyway. You got up and sighed. Time to face the dragon, or whatever. “Have nice evening.”

“You too.”

You crossed the street, paying mind to keep an eye on where you walked. You sighed and halted as you reached the sidewalk on the other side. You were stalling. You were terrified of going back inside. 

“You shouldn’t have stopped.”

You stiffened as you felt the barrel of a gun press into your back. What the hell?

“Come with me.” The voice was familiar, so you dared a look over your shoulder and found the man from the bench grinning at you. Only now he didn’t look friendly.

“You’re making a huge mistake,” you told him.

“I don’t think so. Devlin will be so happy when I’ll bring him your head on a platter.” The man smirked, a cool, calculated glint in his eyes.

So Heero had been right. There was someone out there to get you for Devlin. The bastard was keeping a low profile and didn’t want to get his hands dirty. 

“Now, start walking.”

You didn’t move, and the man grabbed your arm in a bruising grip, dragging you along with him. You struggled against his hold, trying to break free, but he only pressed the gun harder into your skin. 

“Let me go,” you told him in a dangerous tone.

The man chuckled and started dragging you in the direction of an ally. You realized quickly that if he managed to get you there, it would be much easier for him to kill you. 

“No!” you snapped, struggling wildly. The first pinpricks of panic started to come through. “No! Let me go!”

“Shut up!” he snapped. 

Wufei’s face appeared in your mind and you regretted going outside. God, how could you have been so stupid!? Your breathing became irregular and you struggled wildly in the man’s hold. You had to get free, had to get back inside. You had to get back to him!

“WUFEI!” 

“Shut up, you bitch!”

His gun cracked against your skull, and you had only one clear moment of thought before everything went back. Wufei would never know about what happened to you.

_I’m so sorry…_

**\- End part 2 -**


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this much earlier, but my Ipad decided not to save the edited version of this part, so I had to go over it again. 
> 
> Anyway, it’s done and I hope I didn’t miss anything! Enjoy! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**The dream is still alive  
Part 3**

_Abandoned building, L2 Colony cluster, AC 205_

When you came about, you were in a dark room with a small window. As the Colony was in its night cycle, it was dark outside, and you had little light to take in your surroundings. You were dangling above the floor, your wrists secured in a pair of cuffs that were suspended from the ceiling. Your arms hurt from the lack of circulation and your head pounded from the blow of the gun.

You heard footsteps approaching and lifted your head to look at your captor. He was eyeing you from the doorway, a smirk on his face.

“When I get out of these cuffs, I’ll fucking kill you,” you told him darkly.

He chuckled, his laughter mocking, as he stepped into the room to circle around you. “Right. Enjoy that little fantasy. He won’t be able to find you here.”

“Who?”

“Your bodyguard. You screamed his name so nicely before I knocked you out.” He stepped up behind you, his breath heavy on your neck. “He is next on my list.”

“Fuck you,” you spat angrily.

You heard him breathe in deeply, and tried to suppress the shiver of disgust that wanted to run down your spine.

“You have a man’s scent all over you. Bet it was him, right?” He grabbed your hair and yanked your head back. “Fucked you right before I got my hands on you.”

You threw him a disgusted look when he came to stand in front of you. He forcefully grabbed your chin and tipped your head to the side, a smirk forming when he saw the bite mark Wufei had given you.

“Yeah… Bet he did.” He stepped back, and seemed ready to leave the room.

You had only one moment to think about how you were going to kill this man, before he whirled back towards you and rammed his fist into your midriff. A pained gasp escaped you and you were left coughing, the pain radiating up towards your already sore arms. You tasted blood, having bit your cheek as the sudden blast of pain, and spat on the floor.

“You bastard!” you gasped.

He punched you again, in the same spot, and you struggled against the cuffs, your body wanting to curl up as the pain registered. But even though the agony was terrible, you refused to cry out. You wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

“Tough one, aren’t you?” he taunted.

You chuckled darkly. “I was a Preventer once.”

“Aaah, yes. The feared organization.” He circled you again.

You strained your ears, trying to figure out what he was getting at and braced yourself when you heard him spin swiftly on his feet. The kick landed solidly against your lower back.

“Is that all you got?” you asked him when he came to stand in front you again.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll crack soon enough.”

You spat in his face. His eyes flashed with fury and he leaned in close to you.

“You’ll pay for that.”

You moved quickly, surging forward, and forcefully head butted him. “Bring it on!”

He went down with a groan, grasping his head. “You fucking bitch.”

You smirked down at him, knowing he would need some time to gather his wits. He would leave you alone until then. You gazed up at the cuffs, squinting in the darkness to try and see if you could escape from them.

The man crawled backwards and away from you. You raised an eyebrow at him when his cellphone started ringing. He propped himself up against the wall and picked up.

“What?” He sat up straight as the person on the other line started speaking, a smirk forming on his face. “Yeah, I got her. Just like you asked.”

Devlin! It had to be him. You struggled against the cuffs wildly, a sudden surge of rage surfacing. That bastard!

“Yeah, I can do that.” You watched as your captor got up, approaching you. He smirked when he reached you. “He wants to speak to you.”

He pressed the phone against your ear, and you listened intently to the voice at the other end of the line.

“Hello -Y/N-.” It was Devlin. “It’s been a long time. Almost four years right?”

“What do you want?” you growled.

“Oh, a million dollars and a house on the Maldives would be nice,” he said jovially. “But mostly, I want you dead.”

“And so you sent some goon after me,” you concluded. “Afraid to get your hands dirty, Devlin?”

“I’m pretty busy enjoying my newfound freedom.”

“Coward.”

He chuckled. “Still got spunk I see. I hoped they had stripped that off you too when they took away your badge.”

So he knew about that. Huh. “Fuck you.”

He laughed, the sound mocking and grating on your nerves. “Say hello to Agent Chang for me, will you?”

Your captor stepped away from you and put the phone back against his ear. A sickening smirk formed on his face as he listened to whatever Devlin’s instructions were. “Yeah, I can get that. I have a guy here that deals in C4.”

A bomb? What the fuck where they planning?

“Alright.” The man hung up and put the phone back in his pocket. He gave you a grin. “We got plans for you.”

You gave him a bored look. “Whatever.”

He pulled his gun from his pocket and circled you. “Don’t worry Baby; you’re going out with a bang.”

His gun cracked against your skull a second time and you slumped as you lost consciousness once again.

-x-x-x-

There was a dark cloth over your head as you regained consciousness for a second time. Your head felt like it had burst, and you had difficulty breathing with the cloth over your head. You were bound, lying on your side, and movements jarred the surface you were lying upon. You guessed you were in a car, being driven to God knew where.

You wondered if Wufei was worried about you. Would he know by now that you were missing? You thought back to that last confrontation in the living room of the hotel suite. He had looked so distressed with the situation. Sadness weighed on your heart as you recalled the look in his eyes. More than ever you regretted walking out. You should have confronted him, dragging the answers you needed from him. You couldn’t seem to figure out why he would reject you again after… There would have to be an explanation for it.

The car stopped moving, calling you back to the present, and you lay completely still as you listened to the movements of your captor. He was getting out of the car, moving to the back. You heard double doors open. Definitely a van then. He grabbed something that was lying behind you and then you felt his hands grip your arms.

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” he said tauntingly. “Time to greet your prince.”

He kept the hood over your head as he dragged you along with him. You were forced to walk and winced when you felt something sharp dig into your bare feet. The sticky feeling between your toes and the sting of the asphalt against your skin told you that you were bleeding. You sighed with relief when you were pushed onto a patch of grass after a while. He pulled you to a halt and forced you to sit down on your knees. He was rummaging around, and then you felt him lift the cloth.

Bright daylight greeted you and you blinked rapidly as your eyes got used to it. The man was busy strapping something around your neck, and with a sinking heart you realized it had to be the C4 he had been talking about. You heard the beep that indicated the activation of the device.

“Now, you better sit very still, or you’ll lose that pretty head of yours.” He laughed darkly, before walking away.

You sat utterly still, taking in your surroundings. You discovered you were in the park on the opposite side of the hotel you had been staying at. You could see the building through the trees. The park was deserted yet, as it was probably still early. You had to wait until someone came by and saw you. You tried to even your breathing, reaching for the meditation techniques that Wufei had taught you at the beginning of your partnership. Your body was sore from the kick and punches you had received at the hands of your captor, but you forced your mind away from the pain. Calmness would buy you time and probably save your life.

It didn’t take very long before a jogger entered the park for his morning run. You sighed in relief when you saw that he was coming into your direction.

“Hey!” you called to him when he was close enough to hear you. “I need help.”

The man approached you cautiously. “What’s the matter?”

“I need you to get the hell out of this park and alert Preventer that I’m here,” you told him. “They are looking for me. My name is -Y/N- -L/N-. Tell them there is a bomb strapped to my neck.”

The jogger’s eyes widened with fear. “I’m going!”

“Thanks!” you called after him as you watched him disappear.

About ten minutes later, you heard sirens approaching. You closed your eyes and continued to breathe evenly, refusing to let panic and fear take over.

“-Y/N-!”

Your eyes shot open at the sound of Wufei’s voice. He came running in your direction, the haggard look on his face telling you he hadn’t slept a wink.

“Wufei…” You hardened your gaze when he reached you. “Get the hell out of here!”

“No.” His answer was flat as he shook his head. “What happened?”

“Turns out there indeed was a guy out looking for me,” you said. “He knocked me out and beat me up some, then dragged me here and strapped C4 to my neck.”

He knelt down next to you. “This is motion activated. You have to keep still.”

“I know.” You frowned when he didn’t move. “Wufei, get a move on. I’m serious.”

“Preventer is locking down the park,” he said, while moving to untie your hands. “BDS is on the way. We’ll get you out of this okay?”

You very carefully moved your hands to rest in your lap. You made sure not to move your shoulders too much and sighed in relief as the circulation in your arms came back slowly. Soon enough, agents were swarming the park. A man from BDS approached you and Wufei, glad in a protective suit.

“Sir, I have to ask you to leave the premises.”

“I’m not moving,” Wufei said, and you didn’t miss the authority in his voice.

“Then at least go and get a suit.”

“She isn’t wearing one, so I won’t need it either,” he snapped.

“Alright, Sir.” The man knelt down and took a look at the device strapped around your neck. He clucked his tongue. “This might take a while.”

“Don’t worry,” you said. “I’m not planning on moving.”

The guy chuckled and got up. “I’ll be right back.”

“Can you tell me what this guy looked like?” Wufei asked.

“Caucasian with brown hair and brown eyes,” you told him, while trying to keep track of your breathing. “He approached me when I sat outside on the bench on the other side of the street.”

“Is he working for Devlin?”

“Yeah.” You closed your eyes again. Your legs were starting to hurt. “He was nice at first. Then when I decided to go back inside, he came after me and knocked me out.”

“Where did he take you?”

“I don’t know. When I came to, he had me hanging from the ceiling in a dark room,” you said. “He got a call from Devlin.”

Next to you, Wufei tensed at the mentioning of the name.

“He held the phone to my ear. Devlin said he wants me dead.” You took another breath before continuing. “You’re their next target.”

“It won’t get that far,” he said resolutely. “Are you meditating?”

“It’s better than freaking out, don’t you think?” you said. “They know you are my bodyguard and guessed at what happened between us too.”

He grunted.

“He knocked me out again and when I woke up again he dragged me out of a van and left me here,” you concluded. “I didn’t get to take a look at the bomb. How much C4 is it?”

“By the looks of it, enough to blow away the entire park.”

You sighed. “I’m sorry for walking out. It was a stupid mistake.”

You let a sliver of the bottled up emotions come through, hoping he would understand. A small smile formed on your face when his hand came to cover yours.

“I was going to apologize to you,” he said, his tone honest and full of regret. “But then I saw you were gone.”

You could imagine the shock, the realization, and the anger. And then the worry when you hadn’t returned. You saw the BDS guy coming back, but when he was close to you, you discovered it was an entirely different person.

“Hiya, Pretty Lady,” Duo grinned at you through the visor in his suit. “What kind of trouble did you manage to get yourself into now?”

“Duo!” You felt a surge of relief at the sight of him.

He was Preventer’s secret bomb specialist, and could disarm bombs safely without blinking an eye. It was a skill he was only allowed to use occasionally, as Une preferred him for undercover ops because of his skill set in other areas and ability to blend in well.

“I thought you were undercover,” you said when he knelt down in front of you.

He put the toolbox down next to you and took a look at the device strapped around your neck. “Well I was… Until my suspect was ordered to put a bomb around your neck.”

“You were his supplier?” Wufei asked him.

“I was and I busted him when he came back.” Duo went to work. “This should be easy.”

You swallowed and looked at Wufei from the corner of your eyes. You turned your hand under his, entwining your fingers with his. Now that Duo was here, you let go of the meditation, and the suppressed emotions came back into your eyes. Tension crept into your shoulders. Wufei was looking at you, the look in his eyes encouraging. You took comfort in that and took a deep breath.

“Okay,” Duo announced after a while. He grabbed a clipper and brought it up to one of the bomb’s wires. “Hold still for me, Babe.”

You squeezed your eyes shut and gritted your teeth.

“-Y/N-.” Wufei spoke softly, his tone gentle. “It’s okay. I’m right here.”

You heard the first wire snap, and opened your eyes. Wufei moved so it was easier for you to look at him. “Just look at me.”

“Okay,” you said softly.

The look in his eyes warmed, and he gave you an encouraging smile. “You’re doing great.”

“Here goes the second one,” Duo announced.

The wire snapped and your heartbeat sped up. The third wire would be the last one. A lump formed in your throat. The next wire could mean life or death. If the bomb exploded, Wufei would die with you. You knew it was useless to tell him to leave.

“Final one, Babe,” Duo said. “Just a little while longer.”

Panic clogged in your throat, and you fought the urge to move. Wufei squeezed your hand, and you took a deep breath, trying to convey with your eyes what you wanted to tell him.

“Wufei…” you said, your voice catching on the words. “Wufei, I…” _I love you._

The third wire snapped.

You squeezed your eyes shut, the air escaping your lungs in a rush. Tears burned in your eyes as Duo carefully removed the bomb from around your neck. You slumped and Wufei was there to catch you. You buried your face into his neck and held on for dear life as you sobbed with relief.

“Shhh…” he soothed you, while running a hand through your hair. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

He pressed his lips against your forehead and held you tightly, murmuring soothing words to you. You were trembling, the pain in your body finally registering again. You pulled back and wiped your cheeks, turning to look at Duo, who was securing the C4 in a protective case.

“I’m going to put this away. See you later.” He got up and carried the explosives away.

Wufei helped you up, and you staggered when the circulation in your legs started again. You gritted your teeth against the pain and cursed.

“Come here.” Wufei quickly scooped you up.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and rested your head against his shoulders as he carried you out of the park. The streets were bustling with Agents, their vehicles parked hazardously on the road. Spectators were gathered behind the crime scene tape, and you hid your face in the fabric of Wufei’s Preventer jacket. You dared to bet there were reporters at the scene as well, and you didn’t want your face plastered on the front pages.

“We’ll need to take statements, Sir.” An agent approached you and Wufei.

“You can take them by the end of the day,” Wufei told him. “She needs medical attention and rest.”

“Sure thing.” The agent saluted Wufei and then left.

The silence of the hotel lobby came as a relief. You let your eyes drift shut as Wufei carried you towards the elevator.

“-Y/N-,” Wufei murmured in your ear as he stepped inside. “Don’t fall asleep, okay?”

“I won’t,” you murmured back.

He nuzzled your hair and carried you out of the elevator and towards the suite. The agent standing guard at the door opened it, and you were carried inside. Relena and Heero were in the living room.

“-Y/N-!” Relena’s relieved tone greeted you and you turned your head to give her and Heero a weak smile.

“Hey,” you said softly.

“Are you okay?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

“Get some rest okay? We’ll talk later.” Relena leaned in and kissed your cheek.

Wufei carried you into your bedroom and carefully lowered you to the bed. “Let me take a look at your feet first. You’re bleeding.”

“I think I stepped in glass,” you said.

Heero came walking into the room, carrying a first aid kit and a glass of water. “Thought you might need this.”

“Thanks,” Wufei said, while taking the kit from him.

“Are there painkillers in there?” you asked. “My head is feeling like it’s going to burst.”

“There should be,” Heero said, while handing you the glass of water. “I heard that Duo surfaced again.”

“He was the supplier of the C4,” you said as you grabbed the kit from Wufei to dig up the painkillers. “Got the bomb off of me too.”

“Hn. I’ll see if I can reach him.” Heero left the room again.

Wufei took hold of your left ankle and lifted your foot to study it, while you quickly popped two pills into your mouth and swallowed them down with the water. You hissed when he carefully probed at the wounds.

“Just get the glass out for now,” you told him. “I want to shower first.”

“Sure.” He retrieved a pair of tweezers from the kit and went to work.

You bit your lip as he carefully pulled the small particles of glass out of the wounds. You felt fresh blood well up and drip from the wounds onto the wooden floorboards.

“You cut yourself pretty badly,” Wufei said as he switched your left foot for the right one.

“I didn’t see where I was going,” you told him. “Is it bad?”

“They are just shallow wounds, but walking will be painful.”

“I’ll endure,” you said.

“I’ll bind the wounds after your shower. Stay here, you’re bleeding all over the place.”

He went into the bathroom and turned on the shower and spread a towel out on the floor, before coming back. He lifted you up and carried you towards the shower stall, carefully lowering you onto the towel.

“Alright?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yeah.”

“Just call me when you’re done, okay?”

“Hmm…”

He left the room and closed the door behind him. You quickly undressed and got under the warm spray of water, biting back a curse as it stung your feet. The water in the drain tinted pink and you went to work on your hair, sighing with relief as the painkillers kicked in. You washed away the remaining evidence of your encounter with Wufei and examined the large bruise just below your breasts. The spot was sore, but it didn’t hurt to breathe. No bruised ribs then. You got lucky on that. Your eye fell on an identical set of bruises on your hips and you frowned as you examined them. You hadn’t noticed them before. You carefully probed at them and discovered them to be fingerprints. Wufei… You bit your lip as you realized he had held on a little too tightly.

You turned off the shower and took a towel from the rack, quickly drying yourself before stepping onto the towel that Wufei had left on the floor. You grabbed the robe that hung on the side of the towel rack and slipped into it.

“Wufei?” you called. “I’m done.”

The door opened, and you stood awkwardly as he approached you. You felt a little naked under his stare without make-up or proper clothing. He lifted you up again and carried you back to the bed, where he focused on cleaning and binding your feet.

“You should get some sleep,” he said, when he was done.

You reached for him when he straightened and grabbed his hand. He met your gaze and you felt the insecurity slip back in place. “Was it really a mistake?”

He looked away from you and sighed. “In a way it was.”

You bit your lip and took a trembling breath before getting up as well. You took a tentative step in his direction, testing the bandages. He had been right. Walking was painful. You halted with just an inch separating you from him, and you reached up to touch his cheek.

“Why?” you asked.

He met your gaze again and you easily recognized the shame and regret. He brought his hand up and slipped it under the collar of the robe, baring the bite mark. His fingers skimmed over it and you couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down your spine at the contact. You saw how his gaze darkened.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said in a low tone. “I had every intention of sleeping with you.”

A frown appeared on your forehead as confusion settled. What did he mean?

He tugged you closer and rested his forehead against yours, his hand leaving your neck to tuck your hair behind your ear, before cupping your cheek. “I never lost control like that before.”

“You didn’t hurt me, if that is what you’re worried about,” you said softly, while curling your fingers around the fabric of his shirt. You needed to hold onto him, to keep him close.

“Maybe not, but I have broken every ethic and code I have set for myself,” he explained. “I am your bodyguard and should have kept my distance until after you were safe.”

You smiled in understanding. “It’s a little late for that.”

You took hold of his hand and turned your face to kiss his palm. You kept your gaze locked with his, seeing how his eyes softened at your actions.

“I didn’t want it to be like that,” he murmured, while tipping your head back. “I took you like some savage.”

“Wufei…”

“Afterwards I was ashamed of myself and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have done that.” He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against your lips. “I’m sorry.”

Relief washed over you and you gave him a small smile. You slipped your arms around his neck, leaning against him. He was yours after all. “How did you imagine it to go?”

He cupped your cheek again and leaned in, his lips slanting over yours tenderly. Your eyes drifted shut and a sigh escaped you. He kept the kiss gentle. The heat was there, but it was different, mellow, and you drowned as he took the kiss deeper. It barely registered to you that he lowered you to the bed, his weight settling against you. He trailed a path of aching slow kisses over your cheek to your ear. You shivered when his tongue swept over the sensitive spot behind it. His lips caressed over your throat, down to the bite mark, which he kissed tenderly.

“I should be shot for showing you that side of me first,” he said quietly.

“No…” You whispered while pressing your lips against the side of his throat. You tightened your grip on him and slipped a hand under his shirt, trailing it over his back up towards the scratch marks you had left there. “I wasn’t any better, you know.”

You felt him smile against your skin, and then he lifted his head and his mouth came back to yours. He kept hold of the tenderness, refusing to let passion take over. His fingers worked to undo the knot in the belt of the robe, and you shivered as he parted it, leaning in to worship your skin. Soft sighs escaped you as he kissed the bruise beneath your breasts, his hands caressing over your hips. Your fingers tangled in his hair, urging him to come back and kiss you once more. You pulled his shirt up, your fingers caressing over the golden skin that you bared.

There was no rush, just savoring as you undressed each other. You could feel his heart beating wildly against your fingers, but he kept the pace slow. You drifted on a cloud of wonder, explored with tender touches, and were drowned with kiss after kiss. A gasp escaped you when his fingers teased over your inner thigh, up to where you burned for him. He took you up, the rhythm of his fingers achingly slow, until you were nearly sobbing with need.

“It’s okay,” he murmured against your ear. “Let go.”

You came apart beneath him, the pleasure unbearably sweet. A tear escaped from beneath your closed eyelids, rolling over your temple to disappear in your hair. You were left gasping for breath and pressed your face against his chest when he rolled onto his back and pulled you into his arms. After you had regained your bearings you moved to kiss him, smiling against his lips.

He made a sound in the back of his throat when you closed your hand around his erection, and watched how his eyes fluttered shut. He was so beautiful. You moved and straddled his hips, looking down at him with a tender look in your eyes. His hands came to rest on your hips, his thumps caressing over the bruises he had left there. The intimate look he gave you made a fresh wave of longing surge through your body, pushing you to lift your hips, positioning him against you. You slowly lowered yourself down on his erection, your breath leaving your lungs in a rush at the sensation of him filling you. He sat up, his mouth meeting yours once more and his hands slipped around your waist to caress over your back as you slowly rolled your hips.

His abdomen were rock hard against the sensitive skin of your belly, your breasts rubbing against his chest with each upward move you made. This was so completely different from last night’s encounter, and yet the connection you felt with him was the same. It was as earth shattering, and again, he made you lose complete track of time and place.

He tightened his hold on you, one hand cupping the back of your head as he rolled you underneath him, his mouth never leaving yours. He took your hands in his and entwined his fingers with yours, pressing them against the mattress beside your head. He moved inside you slowly, pressing against you intimately with every forward trust. You raised your legs, wrapping them around his waist to urge him deeper inside of you. The pressure built again and you broke the kiss to drag some much needed air in your lungs. You threw back your head, tempting him to lean in and nuzzle the side of your throat.

He let go of one of your hands, his fingers trailing over the side of your body, and you arched your back when he slipped it between your bodies, and down, just like last night. You gasped his name as he teasingly pressed his thump against your clit, your hips coming off the bed as you stumbled over that second, staggering peak. You curled up around him, your muscles clamping down on him as one long swipe surged through your system and took him with you. You watched as pleasure washed over his face, a quiet groan escaping him as he lowered his head to rest against your shoulder. You wrapped your arms around him and held him, noticing that he was trembling.

You smiled and pressed a kiss against his temple, a content sigh escaping you. You could lie like this for hours, you thought blissfully. After last night, you had needed the reassurance, the tenderness, without realizing it yourself. Your hand came to absentmindedly play with his hair, pulling the elastic band from it so you could run your fingers through the black locks. A content sigh escaped him, causing your smile to widen.

“I could fall asleep like this,” he murmured.

You pressed another kiss against his temple. “Then sleep.”

He propped himself up on his elbows and gave you a tender look. “No. I’m too heavy for you.”

He leaned in for a kiss, and it was sweet with lingering pleasure. You whimpered when he pulled out of you and lowered himself down beside you, pulling you towards him. You turned over on your side, snuggling into his chest, and were asleep within minutes.

-x-x-x-

You woke from the knock on your door, and struggled to open your eyes. Behind you, Wufei shifted, his grip on your waist tightening.

“-Y/N-, Wufei, come out. We have dinner.”

You groaned at the sound of Heero’s voice. “What does he think we are? Stray cats?”

A sleepy chuckle escaped Wufei. “We might as well eat. Are you hungry?”

Your stomach answered the question for you, earning you another chuckle. But you were reluctant to move from your comfortable position.

“Someone is coming to take our statements too.”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t fall asleep on me, Woman.”

You turned over and snuggled up against him, a small smile on your face. It widened when he tucked your head under his chin. You felt so wonderful. But Devlin’s need for revenge overshadowed your happiness. You knew that you couldn’t live your life comfortably as long as he was free. You always would have to look over your shoulder. And Wufei too. Now that you knew that Devlin was out to get him too, you knew you would have to rely on each other to stay alive.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked after you sighed.

You pulled back slightly to look at him and cupped his cheek. “I was thinking about the situation with Devlin.”

His fingers curled around your wrist, caressing over your pulse point and sending tingles up your arm. The look in his dark eyes was reassuring. “You know you are safe with me.”

You bit your lip. It was a foolish notion to think about it. “But you are now his target too. And I don’t plan to sit around waiting for him to make a move.”

A frown appeared on his brow and you watched as he realized what you were talking about. “You want to go after him?”

You swallowed, praying your voice came out strong. “I want my badge back and to put that son of a bitch back where he belongs.”

“There already is a team working to locate him.”

“Wufei,” you said softly. “We followed this man for a year and studied his every move. We know him better than anyone.”

“You have been off duty for three years now,” he said, while moving to sit up. He pushed his pillow up against the headboard and leaned back against it. “You can’t go back into the field right away. And neither can I.”

You frowned and sat up as well, careful to keep the sheet pressed against you. “What are you talking about?”

“I am no longer a field agent,” he said. The statement was delivered in a casual way, but you could tell that it held more meaning than he let on. “After you were fired my career took flight and I’m now a commanding officer.”

“Oh…”

The sting of envy surprised you. You knew that in the past three years he would have had gotten a promotion. He was too good at his job not to, but the knowledge left a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. You could have been there along with him. And yet you were not. You were stuck as the Foreign minister’s PA, while you could have been leading teams of agents on their missions. You took a deep breath, the tears stinging your eyes unexpected.

“What is your rank?” you asked, while looking down at your hands, which were fidgeting with the sheets.

“-Y/N-,” he said softly as he caught on.

“Your rank, Wufei!”

“Major.”

The bitter chuckle was out before you could contain it. You had been a first Lieutenant when you had been fired. If that hadn’t happened you would soon have been promoted to the rank of Captain, which Wufei had already held at that time. Now he really was miles ahead of you.

He reached out and took your hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I would undo it if I could.”

“But you can’t,” you managed to get out. “God. I could have been there along with you.”

“I know.” He murmured.

You blinked back the tears and took a trembling breath. “Fucking hell.”

He tugged you into his arms and wrapped you up in his embrace. “But if you had been there along with me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Maybe…” you said softly.

“You know the rules,” he told you, while pressing his lips against your forehead. “We would both have been fired.”

“You’re saying they won’t rehire me anyhow because of this,” you said.

So there truly was no way for you to get your badge back; unless you managed to convince Une. It was worth a shot. You had been a damn good agent. And besides that, rules were made to be broken. Hell, there were married couples within the agency, so you’d have to find a way.

“We should get up and get dinner,” you murmured.

“Yeah.” He dropped a kiss on top of your head, before he let you get out of his arms.

You slipped on the robe and went into the bathroom to freshen up, wincing as your sore feet protested. You brushed your teeth, and washed your face, before dragging a brush through your hair. Afterwards you wandered back into the bedroom and grabbed a clean set of underwear from your suitcase. As the sweats and shirt you had worn before were dirty, you rummaged around, coming up with a comfortable pair of jeans and a loose tank top. You felt no shyness as you dropped the robe to get dressed.

Wufei was getting dressed as well, pulling on his jeans, and you admired his profile in the fading daylight. Shadows played over his skin, caressing over strong muscles. You couldn’t resist and wandered over to him in just your underwear, slipping your arms around his waist from behind, your lips pressing against his shoulder blade. His scent, all male with a lingering touch of passion, made a fresh wave of longing sweep through your body. You sighed and slid your hands up to his chest, enjoying the smoothness of his skin and the feeling of rock hard muscle under your fingers. His head lolled back, his hair teasing the skin of your shoulder, and a sigh escaped him.

“What have you done to me?” you murmured teasingly. “I can’t get enough of you.”

He chuckled under his breath and hissed when you scraped your nails over a nipple. “You don’t play fair, Woman.”

You nipped the side of his throat. “I never did, did I?”

He didn’t answer you, but his breath hitched when you started sliding your hand downwards. The strength in his body still dazzled you and now even more so because you were allowed to touch. Your fingers teased along the ridges between his abs, your eyes drifting shut at the sudden urge and need to taste him.

“Wufei…” you breathed against his neck. “I…”

“Hey! Will you both come out al- JEZUS FUCK!”

You jumped as the door opened and stared, wide eyed with shock, at Duo. He was looking at you and Wufei, the shock quickly leaving his face as he took in the scene that greeted him.

“About damn time,” he said with a smirk before turning around and walking back into the living room.

“Duo!” you snapped.

“Damn you, Maxwell!”

Wufei stormed after him, uncaring about being shirtless and you knew you had to follow quickly if you wanted to do any damage control. You spotted Wufei’s t-shirt on the ground and quickly threw it on, before running after him. Once in the living room however, you stopped up short, bumping into Wufei in the process as you stiffened with shock once more. You had to grab onto his shoulder to keep your balance from the sudden impact.

Commander Une was staring at you from the doorway of the suite, a look of utter surprise on her face. But it quickly turned over into something else, her eyes narrowing into a disappointed glare. You swallowed thickly, and felt the tension radiate off of Wufei in waves.

“Care to tell me what’s going on?” she all but snapped as she closed the door behind her.

The authority in her voice had your stomach do a somersault. You knew she no longer had any power over you, but she still was Wufei’s superior officer and so he owned her an explanation. You idly wondered why she had come all the way here as a heavy silence fell over the room.

“Leave us.” Une directed a look at Heero, Relena, and Duo.

“Let’s go down to the bar,” Duo suggested, and you didn’t miss the sympathetic look he sent you as he left the room with your boss and her bodyguard in tow.

You would fry him later, you decided. You had more important matters to focus on now. Une was taking in both your and Wufei’s stages of undress, and it clearly registered that the shirt you were wearing didn’t belong to you. How could she not notice? It had a frigging Preventer logo printed on the front. Add to that the fact that she had seen you and Wufei coming from the same room and it would be easy for her to put two and two together.

“I never took you for an unprofessional, Agent Chang,” Une said sharply.

To him it had to be the worst offense and underneath your hand, Wufei’s shoulder tensed, if possible, even more. You rubbed your thump over his skin, hoping to soothe the tension a little.

“You always abided by the rules and so I didn’t foresee any problems when you insisted on taking on this assignment.”

You kept silent, but confusion settled. What was she talking about? Had Wufei really wanted to become your bodyguard? But Wufei remained silent as well, obviously prepared to take any verbal beating that Une would throw in his direction.

“Granted, I knew it wouldn’t be easy given your history with Miss –L/N-, but this...” she trailed off and made a gesture in your general direction. “I don’t know what to say.”

Wufei’s jaw audibly locked and you placed your free hand against his lower back, gently rubbing his skin. He was going to give himself a migraine like this, you thought.

Une paced over to the window, before turning around again, her arms crossed in front of her. “Not only did you manage to lose sight of her, which caused quite a difficult situation for the agency, you also felt it just to ignore any rule or regulation regarding fraternization with your charge!”

You had to swallow back the string of seething words that threatened to escape you. It wouldn’t do you or Wufei any good if you exploded at her. You took a deep breath and tried to calm the rage that was building up steadily.

“I’m sending you home,” Une announced. “Agent Maxwell will take over from you.”

What?!? Your eyes narrowed into a glare. You were not going to allow any of this!

“Say something,” you seethed quietly, hoping Wufei would speak up.

But he didn’t, which irritated you further.

“It wasn’t Wufei’s fault,” you said, surprised at your ability to sound calm.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I took off last night,” you clarified, and you noticed how Wufei threw you a sharp look over his shoulder. He clearly wasn’t happy about you speaking up. “Wufei didn’t know because I skimmed along the balconies of the other rooms.”

“It’s his job to know your whereabouts!” Une snapped at you.

You stepped forward, braving her anger and crossed your arms in front of your chest, mirroring her stance. “With all due respect, Ma’am, but I am an ex-agent. I have been trained to go off unnoticed.”

God, had she forgotten that you weren’t just an ordinary woman? That you had been on top of your game when you had been forced to leave, and that you still were? She clearly had underestimated you and that knowledge didn’t sit easy with you.

“As soon as I was out, I realized my mistake,” you said. “So I wanted to go back, but it was already too late then.”

Une heaved a sigh. “That still doesn’t clear him, miss -Y/N-. I can’t overlook the fact that he got involved with you.”

She directed her next statement as Wufei. “I expect you at the shuttle port tomorrow morning. Your flight leaves at eight.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

It was clear that Wufei was going to resign himself to his fate, but you weren’t going to go down without a fight. So you charged after Une when she left the room.

“Ma’am!” you snapped as you ran into the hallway.

“Now what, miss –L/N-?” she turned around and crossed her arms again.

“Don’t send him away,” you said softly. “I didn’t mean to get him in trouble.”

“Sooner or later, it would have happened anyway,” she said, her tone turning mild. “Rules are rules and I have to abide by them too.”

“I’m begging your pardon, Ma’am, but you’re not really one to talk considering you practically kissed the ground your superior officer walked on back in the day.”

You knew it was a risky statement, knew it would probably kill any changes of you being reinstated. But you couldn’t just let her punish Wufei like that. Lord knew Duo never abided by any rules, and he got away with it. Why couldn’t she be lenient towards Wufei?

The expected anger never came. Instead Une burst out laughing. She sat down on the sofa that lined the hallway and patted the surface next to her. You sat down, a small, hopeful smile on your face.

“I never expected you to put me in my place like that,” she said, while shaking her head. “And you are right, of course.”

“I’m sorry,” you said softly. “I didn’t mean to sound so brazen, but I want Wufei to stay on as my bodyguard.”

“Fine. Then you won’t mind Agent Maxwell tagging along.”

“Ma’am?”

She smiled. “I won’t send Agent Chang home. But Agent Maxwell will keep an eye on both of you, making sure that Agent Chang respects the rules from now on. As soon as your safety is guaranteed, he is free to pursue you, but it won’t happen until then. Am I understood?”

You agreed without thinking. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Good.”

“You said he insisted on taking on this assignment,” you recalled. “Why?”

“You should ask him yourself,” Une said kindly. “But I think his conscience was wearing down on him.”

You smiled. “I see. Actually, there is something else I would like to speak with you about too,” you said softly. “But I think it can wait until after the Colony tour has ended.”

“I will send you an invite,” she said, while getting up. “Now, I really have to leave. I have to give a press conference in thirty minutes. I expect you to give your statements to the agent stopping by later.”

You got up as well. “Thank you.”

She gave you a rare grin, which made you realize that she secretly was happy for you. “You’re welcome, Miss –L/N-.”

You walked back to the suite and found Wufei in the living room, pacing back and forth. As soon as the door fell shut behind you, he whirled around and grabbed your arms.

“What the hell was that?” he raged.

“Well, gee… Don’t bite my head off, ‘Fei,” you said, while pushing at his hands. “I got her off your back.”

His glare was so fierce you could practically feel it burn through you. “I can fight my own battles.”

“You weren’t fighting,” you deadpanned. “You were just taking everything she said to you and accepted whatever punishment she deemed fit. That’s bullshit.”

“It’s reality,” he snapped. “She is my commander and-”

“And what?” you cut him off. “It was unfair. We both know she doesn’t give a damn about Duo trying to sleep around with practically every female agent he can get his hands on. Lord knows he tried to put his moves on me.”

“He WHAT?!”

“Oh, don’t go and get jealous now,” you said irritably. “I was fresh out of the academy and you were too busy being an arrogant jackass to notice. You’re missing the point.”

“I’m not. The point is that you got between me and my superior.”

“Indeed,” you exclaimed. “Because if we’re doing this, which I assume we are, you can expect me to step up for you when I feel the need to.”

He practically fumed, but kept silent and then sighed. “Alright. Fine.”

The fact that he gave in so quickly gave you a quick, satisfying flash of victory.

“You’re staying on as my bodyguard,” you said. “But Une will assign Duo to keep an eye on us, to make sure we don’t cross the line again.”

“We? You mean that I won’t cross the line.” And then he groaned. “That’s basically giving Maxwell room to torture us.”

You grimaced when you realized he was right. “Oh fuck.”

“What did you say that made her change her mind?”

You gave him a cheeky grin. “I reminded her that she had no room to talk about abiding by the rules.”

He raised an eyebrow in question, and slipped an arm around your waist. “And?”

“And she agreed with me.” You slipped your arms around his neck and leaned in to steal a kiss. Duo wasn’t around to stop you, so rules be damned. “Think you can hold out for the remainder of the tour without putting your hands on me?”

“Are you questioning my grip on my control?”

You grinned. “Well… I already made you lose it once.”

His eyes darkened at the reminder. “Damn you, Woman. You shouldn’t mess with my head like that.”

You leaned in again, but stopped with your mouth only inches apart from his. “But you like a challenge, don’t you, ‘Fei?”

The growl that escaped him made a shiver run down your spine. You knew that the upcoming weeks would be pure torture. You had been given a taste, but for now he was forbidden. But at least, you knew he was yours. You could still enjoy his company, claim back some of the moments you had missed the past three years. You had missed him as a companion and now that Une allowed him to stay, you would try to get that part of him back too.

You gave him a smile and rested your head against his shoulder, the affection coming easy. A content sigh escaped you when his hand came up to run through you hair.

“Besides,” you murmured quietly. “We can always try and see how far we can push him.”

He chuckled and kissed your forehead. “You know him. We’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I can’t bring myself to care right now,” you told him, while tightening your grip on him.

The suite door was thrown open. “Alright, you two! You have heard the Lady. Break it up.”

You laughed and let go of Wufei. You turned to look at Duo and gave him a grin. “Long time no see, Duo.”

“I know right.” He moved in and pulled you into a hug.

As soon as he let you go, Wufei yanked you back towards him. You gave him a questioning look, but his glare was trained on Duo. Right. You had told him Duo had tried to flirt with you. And you were still only clad in Wufei’s shirt.

“Hands off,” Wufei practically growled.

Relena and Heero had entered the room as well. Your boss was smiling at you, and you quickly went over to her to give her a hug.

“I’m sorry to have scared you like that,” you told her.

She gave you a warm smile. “Don’t worry about it. You should probably call Jay though. He has been calling your cellphone since the news got out that you went missing.”

“Oh shit.” You buried your hands in your hair and groaned. “He is probably freaking out.”

Heero came to give you your phone. “It’s charged.”

“Thanks.” You quickly took it from him and entered your code to unlock it.

Your eyes widened when you took in the amount of messages and missed calls the display showed you. There even was a call from your mother. Oh lord. But important people got to go first. You walked back into your room, while shuffling through your contacts and pushed the call button. It got picked up even before the first ring ended.

“Why the hell did you wait so long to call me?!?”

“I’m sorry,” you said, putting your most regretful tone to use. “I’m so sorry, Jay.”

He sighed wearily. “I was worried sick. I thought I’d lost you.”

His heartfelt tone had tears burning in your eyes. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Hey now,” he said, recognizing the choked sound of your voice. “Don’t cry, Baby Girl.”

“I’m okay,” you told him softly, while furiously dabbing at your eyes to get rid of the tears. “More than okay, actually.”

“I’m glad. Are you really alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I got busted up some, but I’ll live,” you said, knowing it would only anger him if you kept it from him.

“Do you want me to come over?”

“What?!? No!” you exclaimed at him. “Jay! Really, I’m fine!”

“You sure?”

“Yes!” You gestured wildly with your hand as you talked.

You gave Wufei a small smile as he came walking into your room, carrying a tray with two plates on it.

“I actually have an option on a ticket,” Jay told you, pulling your attention back to him.

“Lee Jae-Joon!” you snapped sternly, earning you a curious look from Wufei. You ground your teeth in frustration. “You’re not coming over. I’m okay! Take my word for it.”

“You sound like my mom,” he complained.

“Ugh… You’re impossible,” you grumbled.

He chuckled. “I know. By the way, isn’t the tour ending on L3? I’ll be there then for the tournament.”

“I know. Although I’m not sure if it will be wise for me to come and see you.”

“I can always come to you, Baby Girl,” he told you with a cheeky undertone. “Maybe you’re hotel will have a gym where we can train.”

You bit your lip as you contemplated his suggestion and gave Wufei a look from the corner of your eyes. You had kept your friendship with Jay from him for the past few weeks. Knowing Jay, he would probably want to defend you and since you and Wufei hadn’t been getting along very well back then, you hadn’t thought it to be a good idea to introduce them to one another. But maybe now was a good time.

“I’d like that. I kinda miss you, you know,” you said.

“Kinda? What? That’s all?”

“Don’t pull that fuckboy shit on me, Lee,” you said with a smirk. “I ain’t falling for it.”

“Alright, alright.” You could hear the smile in his voice. “Take care of yourself for me?”

“Will do,” you promised him. “I gotta go. My mom even called me.”

“Oh, goody. Good luck with that.”

“Thanks,” you muttered. “Bye, Jay.”

“See ya, Baby Girl,” he said cheerfully, before hanging up.

You threw your phone down on the nightstand and sighed. “My mom can wait.”

“You should call her,” Wufei said. “She’ll be worried about you.”

“She can wait,” you said again, while walking over the little coffee corner when he had set down the tray.

You took a plate and sighed at the sight of the meal. You were starving. He had even brought you a glass of wine. You sat down in one of the chairs and dug in. Wufei joined you, and you caught his occasional curious looks as you ate.

“What?” you questioned with a grin.

“You’re not talking to your mother?” he asked.

“No.” You shook your head and put your plate down. “After I got fired she became a pain in the ass.”

He raised an eyebrow in question.

“It’s complicated,” you said. “She… She never liked you. And when I got fired she just wouldn’t let it go. When I met Jay it got worse, which I still don’t understand because he is just a friend, but whatever.”

“He was really worried about you,” Wufei said. “I spoke to him over the phone.”

“W-what?” Your eyes widened with disbelief.

“Your phone kept ringing,” he explained. “At some point I picked up.”

“Oh God.” You pressed your hands over your face. “He probably was out of his mind.”

“He told me he’d kill me if I didn’t get you back alive,” Wufei said dryly. “Like he would stand a chance.”

A hysteric giggle escaped you. “He is a little protective of me. He kinda knows about you.”

“Explain that,” he muttered before grabbing his glass of water and taking a sip.

You cleared your throat. “He knows about what happened three years ago. I had to explain it to him after I broke down in front of him.”

“And?”

You shrugged. “To him, I’m like a little sister. He’s been looking out for me ever since.”

“I see.”

“I wasn’t trying to replace you back then,” you said softly. “He could never fill that void. But I was glad that he was there.”

Wufei’s hand came to cover yours and you turned your hand underneath his to entwine your fingers with yours. You gave him a smile.

Your little moment was broken however, when Duo came barging into your room. “You two can’t be alone!”

“We’re just having dinner,” Wufei said stiffly.

You chuckled into your glass of wine. “We could always kill him and hide the body.”

“Aw, Babe,” Duo drawled. “Still got a razor for a tongue, I see.”

“And I’ve sharpened it, just for you,” you said sweetly, while giving him a wink. “So now that you’re here, sit down and tell me how you have been doing.”

After you had gotten fired, you had cut all ties keeping you to Preventer. It had also meant not seeing Duo anymore. It was a shame really, but back then it had been for the best. Everything relating to Preventer had served as a painful reminder of Wufei’s rejection. Meeting Jay had saved you in some way as he had taught you to see the positive side of things and had given you a purpose, although it hadn’t been as fulfilling as you would have liked it to have been. But it had still been something and for that you were grateful.

Now that your life was taking a turn, you no longer felt the need to keep a distance from your former friends. And so you welcomed Duo back into your life. You saw the warm look in Wufei’s eyes as you joked around with Duo. The arrangement might not be ideal, but he was still here. And to have that look directed at you again, and now with a deeper meaning, made you feel incredibly happy.

-x-x-x-

It had been a particularly grueling, long day. Your head was bitching at you and your neck was stiff from the continuous tension that had been in your body all day. Being out in the open, and having to be on your guard all day was tiresome. L1 was a colony cluster bustling with activity. Normally it was fun, but with the continuing thread of Devlin hanging over your head the busy streets weren’t as nice.

So in the evening, after you had come back to the hotel room, you had quickly disappeared in your room, taking a glass of wine with you, fully intend on taking a long, hot soak in the tub. You sank into the hot water with a sigh, and rested your head against the edge of the tub. The bathing oil was sweetly scented with lavender, calming your frazzled nerves and a small smile came to play over your face as you relaxed.

The past week had been particularly blissful. While Duo did a good job on keeping an eye on you and Wufei, you had still managed to sneak in some moments of alone time. You had rediscovered your former partner turned lover during the long talks you had with him in the couch in the living area of the hotel suites you stayed at. You were pleased to discuss books and history with him, his brilliant mind still intriguing you. He still devoured books and magazines, and it was interesting to learn his opinion on things. But there was one thing he didn’t talk about. And that was starting to bother you a little. He showed you affection, yes. But he didn’t talk about his feelings regarding you. You hadn’t dared to coax him into talking about them. A part of you still feared rejection.

You sighed and sipped your wine. It was stupid, you told yourself. But you couldn’t really help it. Just because you were together now didn’t mean the hurt was gone. It was still there. And although he had apologized for getting you fired, you were still working on forgiving him.

You jumped as the bathroom door suddenly opened and were very much prepared to yell at whomever had come barging in, but the air left your lungs in a rush when you found Wufei in the door opening.

“You shouldn’t be here,” you told him with a small smile.

He gave a shrug and closed and locked the door behind him, before making his way over to you. You smiled when he leaned over the tub to kiss you. “I can’t concentrate with Maxwell watching those stupid action flicks that he insists are fun.”

There was a book clutched in his hand, and you gave a pleased smile when you discovered it was a detective novel you had read as well. “How are you finding it?”

He eyed the novel. “It’s good.”

“Just like I said it was.”

“Hmm.” He settled down on the ground, leaning back against the tub. He opened the book and continued reading where he had left off.

You sighed in contentment, happy that he chose to be close to you. You took another sip of wine and placed the glass on the corner of the tub, before reaching out to trail a finger along the back of his neck. He was so engrossed in the story that he probably didn’t even notice. To see him like this held something intimate and it caused a warm feeling to settle in your stomach.

The realization that you still loved him didn’t come as a surprise. After all, you had nearly blurted out the words to him on L2 when Duo had been about to cut the final wire of the bomb. You hadn’t said it back then because the panic had been stronger. But now… now you had time to analyze your feelings, to explore them. And frankly, they terrified you. What if he wasn’t ready to hear the words yet? What if he walked out on you or got angry again?

“’Fei?” you questioned after a while, surprised at how strong your voice sounded, despite the raging fear in your heart.

“Hmm?”

You moved so you were sitting behind him and slipped your arm around his neck, leaning in to rest your chin on his shoulder. He lowered the book down in favor of looking at you. He cupped your cheek and kissed you, the gentle touch of his lips against yours causing a lump to form in your throat. He pulled back to look at you as the tears spilled down your cheeks.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Nothing,” you murmured. “I’m just happy.”

His eyes warmed and he leaned in to rest his forehead against yours. “Then I’m glad.”

You gave him a watery smile. “You know, it kinda feels like a wonderful dream. Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll wake up from it and that you’ll still hate me.”

His fingers caressed along your jawline and he gave you the barest hint of a smile. “I never hated you. What makes you think I did?”

You bit your lip. “You didn’t?”

He took your hand, the one that was clutching the edge of the tub in a white knuckled grip, and brought it to his mouth to kiss your fingers. “No,” he murmured. “Honestly, I tried to for a few weeks after you confessed to me, but I wasn’t very successful at it.”

You swallowed thickly. Could you trust him again? How would you know if you didn’t try?

“I…” you breathed. The words got stuck in your throat and you cursed yourself for being such a coward.

You watched how his eyes drifted shut and be turned his face into the palm of your hand, tenderly kissing the skin there. When he opened his eyes again, the look he directed at you made your breath catch.

“I missed you,” he said quietly. “And I had myself to thank for it.”

“’Fei…” More tears rolled down your cheeks and you moved in to press your lips against his.

He kissed you back, rising up on his knees so he could pull you closer, uncaring about the fact that you were getting his shirt all wet. His hands caressed over your neck and shoulders, your skin slick from the bathing oil, and you shivered at his tender touch. You cupped his cheek when he broke the kiss and gave him a small smile. He brought a hand up to wipe away your tears.

“Don’t cry,” he said softly.

You gave a chuckle. “I can’t help it. Sorry.”

“I’ve disregarded your feelings and broken your heart, so I’m not worthy of your tears.”

“Oh, but you are,” you said, while leaning your head against his shoulder.

“Talking nonsense again, I see,” he said dryly.

“I’ve never met anyone who could make me so utterly miserable and so utterly happy as well as you can,” you said teasingly. “One minute I want to strangle you and the next I want to kiss you senseless.”

Laughter rumbled in his chest. “Should I take that as a compliment?”

“I don’t know.” You gave shrug. “I’ve been plotting to murder you pretty much since day one.”

He snorted. “You never went through with it.”

“No, because you can be quite nice when your mouth is not so full of arrogance.” You grinned up at him. “I kinda like the contradictions.”

“Do you now?” He gave you a smug, little smirk.

“Well, back in the day not so much,” you said thoughtfully. “You really were an asshole back then.”

“Woman, we were just having a moment and here you are insulting me again.”

“Better learn to deal with it, because you do it too, Chang.” You shot him a challenging grin. “Calling me Woman doesn’t make you a superior being.”

“Why you…” He was quick to dunk you underwater.

You sputtered when you came up again, temporary blinded by the water, and scowled at him through your bangs. _Don’t murder him._ Oh no, you had such a better idea than that. Quick as a cat, you wrapped your arms around his neck and yanked him down. He had not been expecting your move and lost his balance, ending up falling into the tub. Water splashed over the edge, soaking the floor and his book.

“You’re gonna pay-”

The rest of his words were cut off as you were quick to pull him in for a deep kiss. You wrapped your legs around his waist, trusting him to keep you from going under, and moaned quietly when he took over, his tongue seducing yours in a wicked dance. Your hands caressed over strong arms and down his back, grabbing hold of his soaked shirt and pulling it up.

“We can’t,” he growled against your ear when he broke the kiss.

You gave him a wicked grin and pulled the shirt over his head anyway. It fell to the bathroom floor with a wet plop. Your gaze was drawn to the bronzed skin of his chest, and you moved in to press your mouth against his wet flesh. He groaned softly when you gently scraped your teeth over one of his nipples, his eyes darkening with need. His hands slid into your hair, undoing the messy bun you had put it up in, and pulled your mouth away from his skin.

“I’m serious,” he said. “You’ll have to wait.”

You pouted, and slid a finger down his chest, teasing over his abdomen. “I can’t believe you’re actually turning me down while I’m naked underneath you.”

He leaned in, his breath caressing over the skin of your shoulder, so he could speak into your ear. “You have no idea how much I want you. But I have my orders.”

You groaned when he nipped your earlobe, but let go of him when he got up. You had to stifle a giggle when he fished his phone out of his pocket and put it down on the edge of the sink. He was lucky Preventer provided their agents with waterproof devices. His book, however, was a different matter. You stepped out of the tub and bent down to pick it up.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” you promised him.

“Just lay it out to dry,” he told you while stripping off his wet jeans and boxers. He grabbed a towel from the rack and started drying himself off.

“Can you hand me towel?” you asked him.

He threw one over his shoulder and you were quick to catch it. You quickly dried yourself and sighed when you realized you’d have to wash your hair in the morning before styling it. You put on the underwear and robe you had laid out and dumped the towel on the ground, using your foot to move it around to mob up the spilled water.

Wufei wrapped his towel around his waist and turned towards you to lean in for a short kiss. “Maxwell is going have a field day over this.”

“Like you care,” you told him with a smile. “He is not so bad you know. He didn’t try to break in when he heard the water splash to the floor.”

He chuckled and took your hand, pulling you with him into your bedroom. “Come sit with me on the couch for a while, yes? I’ll go and put on something dry.”

“Sure.” You followed him into the living room and found Duo sprawled out on one of the couches.

He stared after Wufei and gave you a funny look as you approached him. “No sneaking around is a rule.”

“Yeah, yeah. But he dunked me in the bath, so I had to get some revenge,” you said while plopping down on the unoccupied couch. “Nothing happened, but not for my lack of trying.”

Duo grinned and shook his head. “He’ll be a tough one to crack.”

You chuckled and pulled your feet up under your body. “Duo?”

“Yes, Babe?”

“Do you think he missed me the past three years?” you asked quietly. Wufei had told you, but you were curious to know if others had noticed.

“I’m sure he did.” Duo gave you a sympathetic smile. “After you left he realized the impact his decision had on his life. Meaning you no longer being in it. He changed a lot since then.”

So that hadn’t gone unnoticed by his friends as well. “I think it’s for the better.”

“Yeah. He’s been working hard to redeem himself.”

“Was that why he took on the assignment of becoming my bodyguard?” you asked. “I mean, it’s not something you would expect a commanding officer to do, right?”

“Probably,” Duo gave you a smile when he noticed the warm look in your eyes. “He knew you wouldn’t be welcoming him back into your life with open arms, but he was stubborn as a mule from what I heard.”

That caused you to smile. You rested your chin on top of your hand and stared off into space as you processed the information. You didn’t think Wufei had become your bodyguard with the intent to hook up with you. He probably had just wanted your friendship back. But somewhere, along the way, he had fallen for you.

“It was probably those sexy business suits,” Duo teased you, as if he could read your mind.

“Hmm?”

“Gee, why look at you. Daydreaming like a lovesick fool.”

You threw a pillow at him. “Be nice!”

“Alright, alright.” Duo chuckled and threw the pillow back at you.

Wufei came walking back into the room and took a seat next to you, draping his arm over your shoulders. You leaned into him and sighed contently, trying to figure out which movie Duo was watching. You groaned when you realized it was a movie from the Before Colony time, one that he had seen a million times already.

“Duo! This movie isn’t even funny anymore.”

“There is nothing else on!” The braided man protested.

You all looked up when the door to the suite opened. Relena and Heero walked in. Relena’s eyes lit up when she saw you all sitting in front of the television. “Great idea! I love Rush Hour.”

“God, you can’t be serious!” you groaned. “At least bring some wine if you’re joining us.”

“Just watch, -Y/N-,” Duo said with a grin. “You’ll be picking the movie apart like you always used to.”

You sighed and settled your head against Wufei’s shoulder. “Whatever.”

Wufei chuckled and turned his head to nuzzle your hair. “Just sit it out,” he whispered in your ear. “If we’re lucky we can sleep out here on the couch.”

You bit your lip to contain your smile and slid your arms around his waist. “Alright.”

Relena handed you a glass of wine. She had stripped off her suit’s jacket and got comfortable on the thick carpet in front of the television. You smiled when Heero joined her, lying down so his head rested in her lap.

“Jeez! Why am I always the odd man out?” Duo complained.

“Shut up Duo, or go find yourself a girl,” Relena said, while burying her hand in Heero’s hair.

The baffled silence that followed her snappy statement got broken by Duo’s roaring laughter.

“Got shot down,” you muttered under your breath. “Serves him right.”

But Duo was right. Soon enough, you were picking the movie apart, just like you had done in the past, and you immensely enjoyed yourself. And afterwards, you fell asleep against Wufei on the couch, not noticing how he lowered himself down and carefully pulled you into his arms.

-x-x-x-

L4 was as it always was: warm and welcoming. The Winner family was still tied to business and politics in the Colony cluster, so Quatre Raberba Winner was welcomed into your circle with open arms. You found him charming and nice, but weren’t particularly fond of him. Somehow you could tell that the kind and understanding front he put up masked a darker mindset. Not that you suspected him of any wrong doings. He just wasn’t as happy as he put on. You could see it when he was alone, looking so damn serious as he worked. According to Wufei it had to do with his father’s legacy and the pressure his family put on him. They wanted him to marry well and continue the family’s business. After the war, Quatre had been more interested in traveling and studying, which his family hadn’t looked fondly upon.

“It’s kind of sad,” you said softly as you browsed through the library of the Winner mansion. “To see him work so hard but not feel happy.”

“He is working so hard because he wants to hand over the business to his sisters in a few years,” Wufei said from his place on one of the comfortable sofas. He was deeply engrossed in a book, his reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

“What’s he planning to do then?” you asked.

“He’ll probably return to Earth. Last time I spoke to him, he was full of plans to set up some charities and study again.”

“Hmm…” you picked up a book on astronomy and leafed through it.

Wufei fell silent, and you smiled as you gazed at him from the corner of your eyes. _Just look at him,_ you thought fondly, _scholar boy_. He had stripped off his Preventer jacket, and underneath it, he wore a simple black tank top, showing off the ink on his right arm, and the tantalizing display of strong muscles. He was wearing his hair in a loose ponytail today, and it fell over his shoulder, while some locks had escaped their confinement, framing his face. He looked so much more carefree these days. More like a man who knew himself. You wandered over to him and around the sofa, stopping behind him to slip your arms around his neck. You leaned down and kissed his cheek.

“You look awfully smart with those glasses,” you told him.

“Hmm?”

You chuckled, deciding to tease him a little. “Here I was, declaring my undying love for you and you’re not even listening.”

He smirked and turned a page. “You weren’t.”

“Can’t fool you, I see.”

“No,” he answered lightly.

You moved, quickly jumping over the back of the sofa so you could sit down next to him. “You know…” you began softly. “I never thought that being with you could be so blissful.”

He abandoned his book in favor of looking at you. He took off his glasses and you smiled at his questioning look. “What do you mean?”

You shrugged and kicked off your shoes, moving so you lay on your stomach with your upper body draped over his thigh. You rested your weight on your elbows, perching them on the small space between his legs.

“Did you think it was easy?” you asked him with a small smile. “For me to be in love with you back then?”

“Most people enjoy being in love.”

“I didn’t,” you said honestly. “I was miserable most of the time, always afraid that I would look at you too fondly and you would figure it out.”

He was silent for a while, his expression thoughtful. “You weren’t planning on ever telling me?”

“Back then, no.”

“Why?”

“Because I rather had you in my life as a friend, than not to have had you at all,” you said softly. “You were that important, you know.”

He took a lock of your hair between his fingers and tugged gently. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known. But then L5 happened and I got so close to losing you…” Your eyes got a distant expression as the memories assaulted you. “They thought you weren’t going to make it for days. I vowed to myself that when you woke up, and when you were healed, I would tell you.”

“And when you finally did, I wasn’t understanding at all,” he said.

You gave a small smile. “No. I never had my heart broken like that. For months I felt like I was beyond repair. And my mother kept rubbing it in. I don’t think I ever completely healed.”

“Not even now?” His question held a hint of unease.

“Not even now, but I’m getting there,” you admitted softly. “I’m learning to trust you again and remembering what happened doesn’t hurt so much anymore.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “Back then I was still… learning to accept that the war would always affect me and my life. That I couldn’t be normal, like I used to be when I was a child. It’s no excuse, but I grew up with a belief that feelings would always complicate things.”

“But you’ve changed,” you pointed out.

“Because I realized that if I continued to live that way, I would lose people that were important to me. I wasn’t in love with you back then or maybe I wasn’t ready to be, but you were important to me,” he said, while resting his hand on the small of your back. “I made irrational decisions because of my anger. I was angry with you, but I should have been angry with myself for not being able to cope with or understand your feelings for me.”

You bit your lip as you contemplated his words, realizing he had said the ‘L’ word. You heart started beating faster with anticipation, hope fluttering in your stomach. “When did you realize that…”

“That I am in love with you?” he asked, catching on with an amused undertone in his voice. “When I saw you at the orphanage with that boy.”

You swallowed thickly and sat up, your hand coming up to caress along his jawline. “But before…” you spoke, struggling to find the words.

“I wasn’t expecting the attraction,” he told you, while slipping his arm around your waist. “But it wasn’t unwelcome.”

You smiled and leaned in to press your lips against his. “Good. You’ve come pretty far from the guy whose guts I hated on first sight.”

He laughed. “What?”

“Oh, come on,” you said while playfully hitting his shoulder. “Did you forget? You rated one of my tests at the academy and said I wasn’t adequate, which was complete bullshit because I hit every target dead on. And here I was thinking: I knew this guy was too good looking to be nice.”

He snorted and shook his head. “I must not have been wearing my glasses that day.”

“Bullshit Chang, because you only use them for reading.” You smirked at him. “You were being a pain in the ass on purpose. Of course, a few weeks later I learned your former partner had been transferred and that you were pissed off because I was already assigned to become your new partner while I was still in the academy.”

“Hmm…” He smirked back. “A rookie who hadn’t even paid her dues yet.”

“I paid them fair and square,” you said cheekily. “But God, I really hated you back then.”

He chuckled. “So you weren’t kidding when you said you wanted to murder me from day one.”

“Nope. I had so many interesting scenarios,” you said with a fond smile as you remembered. “And even now I still feel tempted sometimes.”

He raised an eyebrow, a mocking look in his eyes. “Even now? Why?”

“Because you still can be as insufferable as they come,” you said and slipped your arms around his neck.

“Look who’s talking,” he said teasingly, causing you to laugh. “You can be stubborn as a mule too.”

“So I guess we make a fine pair.” You smirked up at him.

He smirked back at you and pulled you in for a kiss. You murmured your approval against his lips, enjoying the feeling of them pressed against yours. Every time he kissed you he healed you a little. To be at the receiving end of his attention like this was wonderful. His tender streak was still a startling discovery, but one you thoroughly enjoyed. He had buried the passion for now, for the sake of professionalism and you looked forward to the moment you could coax it out of him again.

But you would have to wait a little while longer. Even so, Duo was surprisingly easy to sneak around. You suspected he let his guard down on purpose, to give you and Wufei the opportunity to find each other again. You knew that, after the colony tour ended he would end up at Wufei’s place too, until Devlin was put behind bars again. It was the main reason for you to argue with Wufei about the situation on a daily basis. You weren’t planning to wait. You didn’t want to. You wanted to reclaim your position within Preventer, and enjoy being with Wufei without restrictions.

“’Fei...” you breathed against his lips when he gently tugged on your bottom lip with his teeth.

“Hmm?” He opened his eyes, and you drowned in the intensity of the onyx depths.

You scrambled into his lap, your skirt bunching up around your hips, a sigh escaping you as you pressed your body up against his. You fused your mouth with his again, a soft moan escaping you as his hands slid up your back. You buried your hands in his hair, slowly letting your passion for him take reign. After weeks of trying your best to keep your distance, the need came at you full force and in an instant your body was acutely aware of his. Liquid desire pooled between your thighs when you felt his body’s instantaneous reaction and you shimmied your hips closer to him still.

His hand slid around your throat, the touch gentle, his thump pressing against your chin and forcing your head back.

“This is a bad idea,” he murmured in your ear, but he didn’t sound convincing. The desire in his husky voice was painfully evident.

“Like you care,” you hissed. “I locked the doors.”

He rested his head against your shoulder for a moment, and his irregular breathing caressed your skin through the fabric of your shirt, causing you to shiver.

“I don’t want to do this in a hurry,” he said finally.

You mewled in protest. “’Fei!”

He chuckled and pressed a kiss against the side of your throat. “I don’t want anyone to walk in any moment. It will be worth the wait.”

The dark promise those words held made liquid fire run through your veins, and your thighs trembled with the need for relief. Damn him for having this effect on you. You used your hold on his hair to tip his head back and gave him a halfhearted glare.

“It better be,” you told him, causing him to smirk.

The sinful and utterly confident twist of his lips made you lean in to kiss him deeply. You practically invaded his mouth, and didn’t stop kissing him until you were drunk with the taste of him. You tipped your head back to give him access to the skin of your throat, your eyes drifting shut as he latched onto the juncture of your neck and shoulder, his teeth digging into your skin. Your hips surged forward, and you moaned at the friction it caused.

“Just look at you,” he murmured in your ear, the husky tone urging you on. “So desperate.”

God, he had you so turned by just kissing you and a few words. It wasn’t fair. He couldn’t leave you hanging now. It would be cruel, pure and utter torture.

“’Fei…” you breathed. “Wufei… please.”

He gave a breathy chuckle and placed his hand on your thigh. You bit your lip as he slid it upwards and met his gaze as he encountered the bare skin of your inner thigh, above where your stocking ended. He was smirking at you again, and pulled you closer so he could continue to speak in your ear.

“What do you want?”

You swallowed thickly and wondered how far he was willing to take this. So far he had done his best to stick to his orders, but now he seemed uncaring and more than willing to grant you anything you asked of him, if that promising look in his eyes was anything to get by.

“I don’t want you to stop,” you said while leaning in to nibble along his jawline.

His teeth dug into your earlobe, before scraping along the side of your throat. His thump drew teasing circles on the sensitive skin of your thigh, and you drew in a shuddering breath when he slid his hand further up to where you burned for him.

“Besides,” you continued while dropping your hands so you could slide them under his tank top. “It would be unfair if you stopped now after using your voice on me like that.”

He chuckled, the sound low and sexy, and it made you shiver. “Is that so?”

Your breath caught in your lungs at the familiar feeling of soft skin under your fingertips as you traced patterns on his abs. “Hmm…”

His mouth came back to yours, his teeth digging into your bottom lip in a teasing manner. You gazed at him though heavy lidded eyes, and gave a longing sigh when his lips curled into that smirk again.

“You’re saying I’m not playing fair,” he concluded. “But it’s you who doesn’t play fair.”

You hissed when his thump teasingly crazed along the hem of the lacy panties you were wearing. “Whenever I start something, I intend to finish it, Wufei.”

“Do you now?”

“Yes. It’s you who always stops me from getting my way.”

“Are you complaining, Woman?” he asked, his tone dropping to a dangerous timbre that sent shivers down your spine.

“God no,” you gasped, while trying to keep yourself from wiggling in his lap. God, you wanted him to touch you. “I wouldn’t dare.”

You slid your hands up to his chest, hoping to spur him into action, but he seemed very intent on making you wait. Your body was burning, your whole system focused on need and you were so intent on finding release that you didn’t hear the knocking on the library doors at first.

“Wufei! –Y/N-!” the voice did register and you stiffened in Wufei’s lap at the sound. It was Duo. “Come on out! Trowa is here!”

“Fuck…” you all but growled, causing Wufei to chuckle. “Why now?”

He removed his hand from your thigh and slipped his arms around your waist. “See? This is why it would have been better to wait.”

You rolled your eyes at him and scrambled out of his lap. “Not like you weren’t enjoying it, Chang.”

He smirked at you. “Do you hear me complaining?”

You put on the black pumps you had previously kicked off and smoothed your clothing. Duo wouldn’t have to guess at what you had been doing, given the fact that your cheeks were flushed, and your lips were swollen from kissing. You heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He got up and pulled you closer for a gentle kiss. “Go on out. I need a minute.”

A slow, sultry smile spread on your face as you caught on to the meaning behind his words, and he narrowed his eyes into a glare. “Don’t go looking at me like that. It only makes it worse.”

You couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped you. “It’s your own fault.”

He shook his head and stepped back, only to shoot a dirty look at the doors when Duo knocked again.

“Alright, alright,” you grumbled, while walking over to the doors.

You unlocked the doors and opened one, quickly sliding through the crack and slipping the door closed again. Duo was grinning at you and moved to open the door again. “Wufei!”

“No!” You went straight for his ear. “Don’t go in there!”

“OW!” Duo all but howled as you started dragging him down the hallway. “-Y/N-! That hurts.”

You glared at him. “Be happy I went for your ear instead of your hair. You have the worst possible timing, Maxwell!”

He was still trying to escape from your grasp on his ear, but you were determined to make him suffer. “I’m sorry!”

“You’re not!” you growled. “Leave Wufei be for a minute.”

“Aah…” he caught on and started grinning. “Seems like my timing was completely right. You were doing the dirty in there.”

You yanked on his ear, causing him to howl again. “Say that again and I’ll tear your ear off.”

“Let me go, please?”

You grumbled and let him go, stalking off to the staircase. You needed a minute to calm yourself down too, before facing anyone else. In your room, you fell face forward onto the bed, groaning in the pillow with frustration. Damn Duo. Damn Trowa for showing up out of the blue. But a happy smile spread on your face. Wufei was in love with you. He had actually admitted it.

You made a grab for your phone, which you had left on the nightstand when you had gone to find Wufei in the library, very intent on texting Jay, only to scowl when you saw that your mother had tried to call you. Again.

Ever since the L2 situation, she had been calling you and you had avoided answering successfully. But now seemed like a good moment to call her. You could vent your frustration, and prove her wrong about Wufei after all. You sat up and got comfortable, while pressing the call button.

It got picked up after the first ring. “So you’re finally calling your mother.”

“I was busy,” you said coolly.

“Too busy to talk to me after getting a bomb strapped around your neck?” Her voice wavered at the last part of her sentence. “You could at least have let me know that you were okay.”

“I didn’t feel like talking to you.”

“I see. And you thought you could keep it to yourself too that you allowed that idiot back into your life again.”

Instantly, anger flared. “Don’t. Don’t talk about Wufei as if you know him.”

“You’re still defending him.” The disappointment practically dripped from her voice. “I never liked him and I knew he would end up hurting you.”

“But he has changed,” you said. “He regrets what he did.”

“Does he now?”

“Mom! I know him,” you exclaimed. “Better than anyone.”

“Your choice in men disappoints me.” She sighed.

You sighed too. “For the hundredth time: Jay is just a friend. And you’ll have to learn to accept Wufei, because I’m not going to stop seeing him.”

She was quick to catch on. “You fool. You’ve been sleeping with him.”

“So what if I did?” you questioned. “It’s my choice to make and I love him.”

“Mark my words, he’ll end up hurting you again,” she warned you.

“He won’t,” you said softly. “He is in love with me. Just because Dad left you doesn’t mean it will happen to me too.”

She fell silent and it took her a while to say something again. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Mom…” You could tell that your words had cut her deeply, but sometimes the truth hurt. “You shouldn’t let your bitterness guide you. Not all men are assholes. You’ll just have to trust me when I say that Wufei has changed.”

She gave a bitter chuckle. “I won’t believe it until I see if for myself.”

“Fine. But you’ll have to wait for a while for that to happen,” you said. “I won’t see you until I’m ready.”

“By God, -Y/N-, don’t forget I’m your mother and that I worry about you.”

You bit down on your lip. “But you hurt me. Instead of comforting me three years ago, you said it was my own fault. I was there for you when Dad left. It would have been nice if you had been there for me when I got fired.”

You heard her sigh. “Okay. I’ll try to be more understanding.”

“Good,” you said softly. “I have to go.”

You prepared to hang up, but she stopped you. “-Y/N-?”

“Yes?”

“Can he truly make you happy?”

You smiled. “Yes. I’m sure he can.”

You hung up and put the phone back on the nightstand. You turned over on your side and curled up, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Confrontations with your mother always took up a lot of energy, but maybe this time you had gotten through to her. You closed your eyes and lay like that for a while, just focusing on breathing and trying to calm the raging emotions.

When you felt like you had everything under control again, you got up and went over to the vanity to check your appearance. You smoothed your hair and checked your make-up, before wandering downstairs again.

In the hallway leading to the living room, you encountered Wufei. You met his gaze and felt warmth settle in your stomach at the look in his eyes. Fondness and affection, mixed with desire. He came towards you and slipped his arm around your waist, while pressing a kiss against your forehead.

“I called my mother,” you said softly.

“Oh. And?”

“I think we’ve gotten to some form of understanding,” you told him.

He gave you a small smile. “Then I’m glad.”

You found yourself answering his smile. “Yeah.”

He let go of you and held out his hand. Without hesitation, you took it and entwined your fingers with his and your smile widened when he tugged you with him into the living room.

****\- End part 3 -** **


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m slowly getting back on track with my updates! Enjoy this part and please let me know what you think of it! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**The dream is still alive  
Part 4**

_Preventer Headquarters, Brussels, AC 205_

You swallowed nervously as you gazed at the closed double doors in front of you. Wufei stood next to you, his back ramrod straight as he waited. His sharp gaze was focused ahead and for a moment you were glad he wasn’t looking at you. You didn’t want him to see the nerves, the slight hint of fear in your eyes. You knew he was throwing his credibility on the line for you. If the outcome of this hearing didn’t turn out to be in your favor, people would always second guess any decision he made in the future. 

Three weeks ago the Colony tour had ended. The visit to L3 had been surprisingly easy. Devlin hadn’t made a move, except for disappearing off the grit entirely. You hadn’t been able to meet with Jay, because Wufei didn’t want you to go anywhere that wasn’t a planned visiting site. After the L2 disaster you thought it best to listen to him, and instead you had promised Jay to meet him as soon as the situation with Devlin was resolved. 

You had tried to settle in the adjusted routine. After you dismissal from Preventer, Wufei had moved to a spacious penthouse apartment in the suburbs and despite Duo being there too, it was a peaceful place to be. You enjoyed the late August evenings you got to spend out on the rooftop terrace, the extensive book collection your lover possessed, and the sole pleasure of his company. The only thing you didn’t like were the lonely nights in the guest room, the knowledge that he was sleeping on the other side of the hallway keeping you up. 

A week after your return to Earth you had gone to visit Une, explaining to her that you wanted your job back and that you wanted to go after Devlin. She had been willing to give you a chance, on the grounds that you would attend a formal hearing where a committee of superior officers would determine whether or not you would get your badge back. Telling Relena that you would possibly leave your position as her personal assistant had been surprisingly easy. She had just smiled at you and had told you that she had always known that you would someday return to Preventer. 

Now was the moment of truth. You took a deep breath and rolled your shoulders back. 

“Nervous?” Wufei asked you.

You turned your head to look at him. “A little,” you admitted ruefully. 

You felt his fingers slip around yours and he gave you hand a light squeeze before letting go. “You’ll be fine.”

The reassurance made you feel a little giddy. He normally wouldn’t touch you if you entered the Preventer Headquarters with him. He had told you that if you were to get your job back, it would have to be this way. It was a firm reminder of the position he now held within the Agency. He was a commanding officer and thus he would act like one. If you were reinstated you would hold your previous rank, and he wouldn’t risk getting accused of subornation. It was already risky enough that you would be seeing him outside of work.

You bit your lip as you gazed ahead again. Your heart skipped a beat when the double doors opened. 

“The committee will see you know.” Une’s secretary was smiling at you from the doorway.

She stepped out of the room and gestured for you to move inside. You did so and walked inside, making sure not to appear in a haste, taking leisure steps, until you reached the seat in the middle of the room that was destined for you. You stood next to it, and straightened, saluting the people opposite you, although you were technically not required to do so. You looked each of them in the eye for a brief moment, and Commander Une gave you a friendly smile. 

“You can sit down, Miss –Y/N-.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” you said politely, before sitting down. 

The committee was made up by two women and three men, and you felt another bout of nervousness at the calm stare that Zechs Merquise directed at you. You didn’t dare to look at Wufei, who had seated himself behind you, but you knew he wouldn’t like the man’s presence in the room. They were no longer enemies, but Zechs Merquise never went easy on his previous opponents and vice versa. 

_'Relax,'_ you told yourself, _'You have studied the case. They’ll have to give me a chance.'_

Wufei had dug up your old file from the Preventer database for you and you had been surprised to discover that there wasn’t any mentioning of your confession to Wufei three years prior. It just mentioned that you had been dismissed because of the PTSD rumor and that a psychologist had been appointed to you to help you overcome the trauma. It was obvious that Une had kept it out of your file. Back then you had been stubborn, refusing to see the Preventer shrink, and instead had opted to go to a psychologist that your doctor had recommended to you. The letter from that psychologist was in the file that you had with you.

“Today we will look into the case of Miss -L/N- to see if she can be reinstated within our agency,” Commander Une explained to the people around her. “She believes she was dismissed for the wrong reasons, and therefore would like us to determine whether or not a return to Preventer is possible.”

You felt a small smile tugging at your lips and forced yourself to relax in your seat. If you weren’t diving into this without confidence you sure as hell wouldn’t succeed.

“Miss –L/N-, weren’t you fired because Preventer believed you to suffer from PTSD and therefore unable to work?” the other woman in the committee asked. She was a kind looking blonde you had never seen before.

“Yes. Back then they thought I did and offered me sessions with an appointed psychologist,” you told her. 

“Yet in your file we cannot find anything about those sessions.”

“I know,” you gave her a small smile. “I decided not to go and took a sabbatical of one month before going to a psychologist that my doctor recommended to me instead.”

“Why?” Zechs asked you. “If the Preventer psychologist had determined you fit to work, you could have come back.”

You thought for a little while on how to answer his question. Since there was no mentioning of your confession in the file, you preferred to leave that info out of the hearing. It would only complicate things. “Too be honest… it was too painful to go back here. I had known from the age of sixteen that I wanted to be a Preventer and for my career to end at the age of twenty-one was quite a blow.”

“The psychologist that you saw, did he think you were suffering from PTSD?” Une asked you.

“No, Ma’am.”

“Can you prove that?”

“Yes, I have his written statement with me if you would like to see it.” 

You opened your bag and took out the file, leafing through it until you had found the letter. You got up and walked over to the long table opposite you, handing over the letter to Commander Une. 

“Why didn’t you try to refute your dismissal after you got the statement from your psychologist?” Zechs asked you.

You shrugged. “I guess… I just wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to return and have my colleagues look down on me. I was glad when Commander Une recommended me for the position of the Foreign Ministers personal assistant, as it allowed me to use my skillset to some extent.”

“You were offered the use of the shooting range and the gym with that job,” one of the other men at the table spoke up. He was a stern looking older man with grey hair. “Your records don’t show that you went here often.”

You smiled. “No, Sir. I went to a gym close to my apartment and kept my gunmanship up to par at the local shooting range.”

“So in fact, you avoided the Headquarters?” the blonde woman asked.

You lowered your gaze and pursed your lips, trying to figure out how to say this without giving away too much. How were you to explain that you avoided Preventer because you didn’t want to run in Wufei? 

“My pride got dented,” you said, opting for a smile, which caused the people at the table to chuckle. “But I’m still a skilled as I was back then, if not better.”

“Why do you want to return now?” Zechs asked you. “Your current job pays more.”

“With all due respect, Sir, but I didn’t become a Preventer agent for the money,” you said. “I did it because I wanted to bring justice to the world. And right now, there is a dangerous criminal on the loose. I helped put him behind bars and because of that he is out to get me. I want to get to him before that happens.”

Zechs had mastered the definition of a poker face, but his eyes glinted with a hint of appreciation. It gave you hope. 

“There were rumors going around that you panicked on your last mission,” the blonde woman said. “Is that true?”

“Maybe to some extend I did,” you said, honestly. “My partner got caught in the explosion. I found him, but he was unconscious and his pulse was weakening. Frankly, I was terrified. But I did what I could and I was preparing to perform CPR before the medic got to us.”

“Agent Chang?” Zechs turned his attention to Wufei, who got up from his seat and approached the table as well. 

“Yes Sir?”

“I heard that you were the one responsible behind your former partner’s dismissal. Is that true?”

Wufei answered without hesitation. “I was.”

“And now you are here, supporting her.”

“I made a mistake back then,” Wufei said. “I think it’s time I set it right.”

The blonde woman pursed her lips, as if deep in thought. “Miss –L/N-, if you are to get you badge back, what do you want to do?”

“I want to team up with Agent Chang one more time to catch Gabriel Devlin.”

“And after that?”

You gave Commander Une a smile. “Whatever vacancy you have that I can fill.”

“Are you interested in becoming a field agent once again?”

Technically, that wasn’t possible, because you would be working for Wufei then. You weren’t planning on endangering his position within the agency, so you’d have to settle for something else. It was a sacrifice you were willing to make. 

“From what I heard you’re not hiring in that department,” you said. “But if I can be employed in another department that would be fine with me. It would be a good start.”

“Alright. We will consider all your answers to our questions,” Commander Une said. “You can come back in an hour to hear our decision.”

“Thank you.” You saluted them and went to collect your bag, before leaving the room. Once the doors closed behind you, you spoke up. “What do you think?”

Wufei gave you a smirk. “It’s time for coffee.”

“’Fei!”

“Not now.” He chuckled and walked off.

“Alright!” you huffed and stomped after him. 

Outside of the building, he spoke up again. “You have a strong case and answered all their questions. They’ll have to rehire you.”

A giddy smile spread on your face. “God, I hope so!”

You noticed how he moved in on you, his hand settling on the small of your back as he led you towards the coffee shop that you used to frequent during your partnership with him. His sharp gaze darted around, looking for any thread, but he appeared relaxed. You knew it was because you kept an eye out yourself. He was relying on you again, and that gave you a good feeling. You felt appreciated, valued, a little more his equal. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here,” you said while he opened the door for you. “Remember when we went here the first time?”

“You thought to bribe me with coffee,” Wufei recalled with clear amusement.

“It worked, didn’t it?” you asked him. 

“Woman, you dumped your Frappuccino all over me! Of course I was gonna steer clear of another encounter like that.”

You raised your eyebrow and gave him a cynical smile. “You deserved it. God, you were so horrible back then.”

“Look who’s talking.” He pushed you in the direction of the counter. “My treat.”

“How nice of you.” 

You ordered a large cappuccino, while Wufei went for a regular black coffee. At this time of day the small coffee shop was nearly deserted, so you had plenty of tables to choose from. You settled for the cozy corner boot in the back, which would allow you to slide around the round table to sit next to him. You idly sipped your coffee, trying to do anything but think of the outcome of the hearing. You smiled when he easily slipped his arm around your shoulders, and you leaned into to him. 

A content sigh escaped you. “Thank you for going with me today.”

“Not like I had much of a choice,” he said, while nuzzling your temple. “But you’re welcome.”

“I worried for a moment when I saw Zechs sitting at that table,” you admitted quietly. “I thought he’d go all difficult on me.”

“You forget you were a damn good agent, -Y/N-,” he told you. “You did nothing wrong and they have nothing to hold against you.”

A warm feeling spread in your gut at his words. It was so thrilling to hear him say such things, to know that he didn’t hesitate to compliment you. Before your friendship with him had ended because of your confession, he had been like that too. But now it came with the added bonus of his touch and kisses. 

You gave him a warm smile and cupped his cheek. “It means the world to hear you say such things again, you know.”

He smiled back at you and leaned in for a gentle kiss. “I know.”

You bit your lip when he pulled back. The love you felt for him was unlike anything you had ever felt before. You realized it hadn’t changed. Not even in the past three years. It was still as strong and it killed you that you didn’t dare to tell him. You felt like a terrible coward. You knew he valued honesty, which was what had driven you to finally tell him three years ago. It was stupid to still feel afraid now, when he so openly showed you affection. 

He noticed your distress and cupped your cheek. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” Your voice wavered, and you were quick to lean forward, resting your forehead against his jaw, so he wouldn’t see your face. The fear clawed at your throat with jagged fingers, making it difficult for you to breathe.

“-Y/N-, you think I don’t notice that something is up?” he asked you. His tone was gentle, prompting you to try and swallow the sudden lump that formed in your throat. “This isn’t the first time you suddenly seem sad.”

He was right. The past few weeks you had often gotten to a point where you had wanted to tell him, and hadn’t been able to get the words out. It was frustrating and it wore you down. It almost felt like three years ago when you had been hiding your true feelings for him too. You were so afraid to ruin everything again. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I’m sorry that I’m such a coward…”

“What are you talking about?”

You kept your face hidden, ashamed of the fear. You knew you had to tell him now. He knew something was up and he wouldn’t let it go until he had discovered what you were keeping from him. You squeezed your eyes shut and took a deep breath. 

“I’m afraid,” you confessed quietly. “It kills me that I can’t seem to tell you how I feel about you.”

He went completely still, and you felt his heartbeat speed up beneath your fingers. And then his grip on you tightened and he pulled you closer, holding you against him in a crushing hug. 

“You have no idea, do you?” he questioned you in a low voice.

The familiar burn behind your eyes made you blink rapidly. You didn’t want to cry. 

“The last time I said it you didn’t react so well,” you said in a small voice.

He cupped your cheeks and made you look at him. “I was an idiot back then.”

The tears came, no matter how much you tried to fight them and they spilled down your cheeks. You leaned in and kissed him, sighing when he took over to deepen it. The tenderness reassured you and you reached up with one hand to slip your fingers around his wrist, keeping his hand pressed against your cheek.

You leaned your forehead against his when you pulled back from the kiss to whisper the words against his lips. “I love you.”

His fingers slipped into your hair, and he used his hold on it to fuse your mouth with his again. More tears ran down your cheeks and your body trembled in his hold. He broke the kiss and pressed kisses against your cheek, your temple, your forehead. 

“I love you too.” The words were said in that low, convinced tone.

You pressed your hand over your mouth to stifle a sob as butterflies exploded in your stomach. 

“Don’t cry,” he murmured in your ear. “Please.”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered while meeting his eyes again, smiling through your tears. “Kiss me.”

His mouth slanted over yours and you sighed contently. You slid a hand into his hair and gave a pleased, little smile against his lips when he shivered. He took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and the world around you faded away as you drowned in him. His taste and scent were branded in your memory, but you still couldn’t get enough. It would never be enough. You’d always crave more of him. And so you clung to him, your coffee forgotten on the table, your mouth hungrily possessing his. The mind numbing, slick heat of the kiss left you reeling, your body burning with need and desire. 

“’Fei...” you breathed when he pulled away to trail his lips over your cheek to your ear. 

“Shh…” You could feel him smile against your skin, and then he moved to press his lips against the sensitive place behind your ear.

A violent shiver racked your body and you whimpered. Your hands slid down his chest and you wrapped your arms around his waist, resting your cheek against his shoulder. You had to put a stop to this. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be able to control yourself and you were out in public. He nuzzled your hair and sighed contently, causing you to smile.

“No matter what the outcome of the hearing is, today is the best day of my life,” you told him, while lifting your head from his shoulder to look up at him. 

He was smiling at you, a tender look in his eyes. His fingers came up to caress along your jawline. Your eyes drifted shut and you sighed happily. 

“No more tears, - Y/N-,” he said, while his thumps wiped the evidence away. “I mean it.”

“I’ll try,” you promised him with a chuckle. “Just remember they’re happy tears.”

“Hmm…” He brushed another kiss over your lips. 

You settled against his side and took your coffee, sipping contently, despite the beverage having cooled considerably. You couldn’t wait for Devlin to be behind bars again. Thinking of that outcome had you smiling mischievously around the rim of your cup, and you let your free hand drop to rest on his thigh. You could feel the strong muscles through the fabric of his slacks, and a flash of heat shot through your body. 

He turned his head and his teeth crazed along the shell of your ear. “Keep that up and I’ll have my way with you here.”

“I’m not doing anything.” You tried to sound innocent, but your voice was husky with the effect his words had on you. You gave him a coy look from the corner of your eyes and slid your hand up a little higher. 

His sharp intake of breath was your reward. “Woman, don’t you have any decency?”

“When it comes to you? No.” You turned your head and met his mouth in a short, but heated kiss. “You should know that by now.”

He chuckled and casually sipped his coffee. His free hand came to cover yours and he entwined his fingers with yours, effectively trapping your hand. “Patience is a virtue.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, yeah… And I have to wait, yadda, yadda, ya…”

He narrowed his gaze at you. “Are you making fun of me?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” you murmured innocently, before finishing your coffee. “But by now I’m making serious plans to murder Duo so I can have my way with you.”

Wufei chuckled. “That’s pretty harsh. He is nothing but an innocent bystander.”

“’Fei…” you whined, while wrapping your arms around his waist and leaning into him, a pout forming on your lips. “I just wanna be with you.”

He just smiled at you and brought his hand up to caress your cheek. You didn’t miss the warm look in his eyes and smiled back as realization dawned. He needed reassurance too. You rested your head against his shoulder and snuggled even closer when his arms came to wrap around you. 

“Once you are rehired, we’re probably expected for training at the base,” he murmured. “Think you can still keep up with me?”

Your smile turned wicked. “Oh yeah.”

You still had a few tricks up your sleeve. You had been serious when you had said that your skills might be better now than three years ago. He wouldn’t know what came his way.

Wufei finished his coffee and urged you to get up. “Let’s go.”

Nerves exploded. “Yeah.”

You got up and left the coffee shop. You chided yourself for being nervous now. You had just found the courage to tell Wufei that you loved him, so facing the committee had to be a piece of cake. You rolled your shoulders loose and took a deep breath before starting on your way back to HQ. 

-x-x-x-

“I still can’t believe it,” you exclaimed happily as you entered Wufei’s apartment. You turned towards him and grinned like an idiot. “Am I required to salute you now?”

He gave a little smirk and moved in on you, his arms slipping around your waist. “Only when the situation calls for it.”

“Alright… Sir.” Your voice turned husky, and you noticed how his gaze darkened. You twined your arms around his neck and leaned in to brush a chaste kiss over his lips. “Let’s have a beer on the terrace to celebrate.”

“Sure.” He let go of you and walked into the kitchen.

You smiled to yourself as you hear him rummaging around, and did a quick check on the apartment. Duo had left earlier that day to tinker with some classic car he was restoring, promising to be back before dinner. A quick glance at your watch told you that you had a good few hours to go before he would be back and you planned to make good use of that time. Wufei joined you on the terrace, and you cuddled up against him on the lounge set, tapping your beer bottle against his with a grin. 

“Cheers,” you said cheerfully. 

“To my partner,” he said. “I like calling you that again.”

You chuckled and sipped your beer. “Feels good?”

“Hmm…” He shifted so he could caress your hair with his free hand. “I missed working with you.”

You snuggled into his shoulder. “Me too… It’s nice that we get to do it one more time.”

You sat in silence for a while, basking in the happiness that the outcome of the hearing had brought you. You would be reinstated. Next week, you could pick up your badge and uniform and then you were expected for training and evaluation at the base. As soon as you were cleared, you could go out and catch Devlin. Afterwards, Une would determine in which department you would be put to work.

“Definitely the best day…” you murmured. You finished your beer and put it down on the ground next to the chair, before turning towards Wufei. You slipped your arms around his neck and kissed him. “I’m very grateful,” you said softly. “You risked a great deal backing me up.”

“I’d do it again if I had to,” he said. 

“You set everything right again,” you told him, “So I can no longer hold your mistake against you.”

“Are you forgiving me?” he asked.

You smiled. “I guess I am.”

It was time to let go of the past, to let go of anger and pain, and fear. A weight had been lifted off your shoulders and you felt invincible. Three years ago you had thought you would never feel this happy, but here you were. And with him. You heart felt so full with emotion that you thought it might burst from joy.

You moved in and playfully nipped on his bottom lip. Instantly heat flashed in his eyes and he pulled you closer for a proper kiss. You whimpered when he deepened the kiss, his mouth devouring yours oh so wickedly. You scrambled into his lap and shoved at his Preventer jacket, pushing it off his shoulders before attacking his tie. He shrugged out of the jacket and helped you unbutton his shirt, freeing his skin to your wandering hands. Appreciating fingers slid down the hard planes of his chest to the ridges of his abs, feeling the strength in his body as muscles jumped at your touch. 

“’Fei…” you gasped when you broke away from the kiss. 

Impatient hands tugged the chiffon blouse you were wearing out of the waistband of your slacks, and you were quick to pull it off. He was not stopping you this time, and the dark, lusty look in his eyes told you he probably wouldn’t be able to either. 

“Just this once,” you pleaded as you ground your hips down on him, causing him to groan. “I swear I’ll keep my hands to myself at the base.”

He laughed huskily. “Woman, you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

You head rolled back when his mouth descended on your breasts through the lacy fabric of your bra. You buried your hands in his hair to keep him in place. Already, the need for him was so strong that you could barely think, let alone breathe. Weeks of pent up frustration and desire flooded your system and left you aching and incoherent. You nipples pebbled under his onslaught and your belly quivered with anticipation.

“I’m going to drive you crazy,” he promised. “And it’s going to take a very long time.”

The effect of his voice, rough with desire, had you going limp against him. His lips took yours again with a kind of restrained urgency that left you trembling for him. You needed him to touch you, to devour you, to make you his again. You wrapped your legs around him when he cradled you close and got up from the chair with you in his arms. You kicked off your shoes in the living room, heedless of where they ended up and tore at his shirt with impatient hands. When he finally lowered you to his bed, you used your hold on the fabric to pull him close. His weight settled over you and you arched your back to press against him. He used the opportunity to slip his hands beneath you and unclasped your bra. His hands rushed over you, then slowed to caress, and his mouth followed on a lazy path. 

Your skin shivered under the teasing swipe of his tongue, the scrape of his teeth, your hands tangling in his hair as he lived up to his promise and drove you crazy. His patience was maddening, and you had no choice but to surrender to him. He slipped off your slacks and underwear and lifted one of your legs so he could sample the skin of your thigh. Locks of hair had escaped their confinement and ticked along your flesh as he found the center of your need. Broken moans escaped you as he drove you to that trembling edge and over. You shattered with a cry, his name leaving your lips on a sob as you fought to drag air into your lungs.

But he was so very far from done. He came up to kiss you, his hand slipping between your legs to take you up again. You threw back your head as pleasure shot through you like a bullet, soft sighs escaping you as you started your ascent to a second peak. You dragged your hands over his back, tugging his shirt off and he pulled back to shrug out of it. You gazed up at him through heavy lidded eyes, taking in the sight of that glorious body looming over you. You hooked a finger into the waistband of his slacks and pulled him towards you, your fingers making quick work of his belt and the fly. 

“Suddenly in a hurry?” he asked you.

You gave him a coy look and arched up to catch his bottom lip between your teeth. “You still have too many clothes on.”

He growled low in his throat, but allowed you to push his pants and boxers down his hips. He kicked them away and grabbed your hands, pushing them against the mattress beside your head. 

You tried to squirm loose, but his grip on your wrists was strong. “’Fei!”

“I’m not done yet,” he murmured in your ear. “Just this once, remember? I plan to enjoy myself.”

You gasped when he sank his teeth into the juncture of your neck and shoulder. Your eyes drifted shut as he continued his assault on your sense, your hands grasping uselessly at his back. You wrapped yourself around him because you needed feel him everywhere, to be submerged in the scent of his skin; to drive him crazy with your body. The feeling of those rock hard muscles against your curves left your thoughts muddled. The need to explore his body became a distant thought as his generosity left you stunned and drifting. 

Not once, in all those years that you had loved him, you had allowed yourself to imagine what it would be like to be in bed with him. You had simply forbidden yourself to think about Wufei in that way, too afraid that you wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes again. You hadn't dared to guess at his sensual handling of your body, as if it was a fine tuned instrument only he knew how to play. 

When he finally slipped inside you, you practically were sobbing with need, colors flashing behind your closed eyelids. You held onto him tightly, your face pressed against his shoulder as he took you up to the final pinnacle; left you hanging until you begged him and only then allowed you to fall. His body shuddered as he surrendered to his own release, his head lowering to your shoulder. You slipped your arms around him and held him and waited until your heartbeat had returned to normal and your brain functioned again before you spoke.

“How come you’re so good at his?”

“Hmm?” he barely sounded coherent himself, and that caused you to smile. “At what?”

“Fucking my brains out I guess,” you muttered, then laughed when he rolled around and took you with him. You interlocked your fingers on his chest and rested your chin on top of them, giving him a cheeky smile as you gazed up at him. “Hmm?”

“You think that is an appropriate description of what just happened?” he asked you, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. 

“No,” you said softly, your tone turning wistful. “I don’t think I will ever find appropriate words to describe what you just did to me.”

You let your hands slip down his chest and along his sides, resting them there, while lowering your head onto his chest. “I never guessed.”

“You didn’t?” He looked thoughtful for a moment and brought his right hand up to push his hair back, before shoving it behind his head. The move made his bicep bulge, and you bit your lip as you gaze was drawn to it and the black and grey lines inked into his skin. 

“Hmm… no.” You smiled and shifted so you could look up at him again. “I could barely look you in the eyes back then… I didn’t think it wise to make things more difficult for myself.”

His free hand came up to caress your cheek, a slightly apologetic look entering his dark gaze. Not willing to let that reminder of the past spoil the mood, you gave him a reassuring smile. “Either way, it is a nice surprise.”

You pressed a tender kiss against the center of his chest, before getting more comfortable against him. His hand slipped into your hair. 

“You’re beautiful,” he told you. 

You bit your lip to contain your smile and felt your cheeks heat up. “You think?”

“I always did.”

You blinked up at him, a little stunned by the admission. “W-what?”

He gave you a smug, little smile. “Just because I didn’t allow myself to feel doesn’t mean I didn’t notice.”

How did he always manage to surprise you like that? Incredibly pleased, you moved and kissed him, your lips tenderly brushing against his. You cupped his cheek and sighed when he took over the kiss and playfully swept his tongue over your bottom lip. You drew his bottom lip between your teeth and gently sucked on it. 

“We should get up,” he muttered. 

You pouted. “And when will I get the chance to have some fun?”

He smirked. “You said just this once.”

You rolled your eyes and sat up, noticing how he definitely enjoyed the view of your body. 

“You just wait, Chang,” you told him while moving off of him. You sauntered over the adjoining bathroom. “I’ll come at you when you least expect it.”

“Bring it on, Woman.”

You shook your head and laughed, before continuing on your way to the shower.

-x-x-x-

The familiar feeling of the Preventer jacket made you feel deliriously happy. You idly rubbed at the lapels with your fingers as you appraised your appearance in the mirror. You felt like yourself again. The person you were supposed to be. Your hair had been pulled back in a simple ponytail, your make-up as minimal as it could be. You took a deep breath and turned around, studying how the jacket looked from the back. You felt proud, but you still needed to prove yourself. 

There was a knock on the door and you turned your head to watch Wufei enter the room. A smile formed on his face when he took in the way you looked. “Ready?”

You nodded and moved in for a kiss. “Yeah… Let’s go.”

He took your hand and led you towards the living room, where Duo was lounging on the couch while munching on his breakfast. He gave you a grin when he saw you. “Why, look at you.”

You gave him a beaming smile.

“Ready to go out there again?” he asked.

You nodded. “But first, we’ll get our evaluation.”

Duo snorted. “Right. No biggie.”

“I expect not,” Wufei said. “We’re leaving. I want this place to be clean and devoid of you when we come back.”

“Chill out, ‘Fei…” Duo said with a good natured smirk. “You probably won’t be back for a couple of weeks and someone has got to water your plants or whatever.”

You grinned at Wufei when he rolled his eyes at Duo’s teasing. You grabbed the duffel bag that you had packed the evening before and hoisted it onto your shoulder. “See you, Duo!”

“See you, Babe! Don’t be too hard on the Major.”

You giggled as you pushed Wufei in the direction of the front door before he could comment. Outside, you entwined your fingers with his and sighed contently as he led you to the elevator. Once inside, you moved in and pressed your lips against his in what probably would be your last kiss for weeks to come. You knew you had to respect his position within Preventer, and besides that, the base wasn’t a place for displays of affection. 

You pulled back to give him a slightly apologetic smile when the doors of the elevator opened. “Sorry…”

“For what?” 

The husky tone of his voice had you shivering in his arms. He gave you a smirk, before taking your hand. He pulled you with him out of the elevator. You followed him towards the garage box that held his car, and waited for him to open the door. You eyed the sleek Harley that stood next to his car and gave it an appreciative look. 

“When are you taking me out on it for a spin?” you asked him.

He chuckled and unlocked his car. He knew you had been staring at his motorcycle longingly from the moment you had discovered it a few weeks ago. “As soon as we get back.”

“Is that a date?”

“Count on it.”

You grinned. “Cool.”

You got into his car and relaxed back into the seat. The drive to the base in Leopoldsburg would take an hour, if there wasn’t too much traffic on the way. You idly watched the scenery pass by, your heart starting to beat faster with anticipation as you left the city behind. 

The training would be brutal. You had kept yourself in excellent shape over the years, but the colony tour and the added danger of Devlin had kept you from working out regularly the past couple of months. You would suffer from sore muscles and aches, but it would be worth it. You were looking forward to it, the thrill of holding and shooting a gun again, the laps around the assault course, drilling your body until you surpassed your own expectations, sleeping in the barracks. It had been part of your life once, and now it would be again. 

“’Fei?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you go back there regularly?”

“Every once in a while, yes,” he said. “And I have to be present at evaluations and ceremonies.”

“Ooh, so now the evaluator with be evaluated,” you teased him. “They won’t be too hard on you, will they?”

He snorted. “I can handle it.”

“Do you have any idea of what Une has planned for me after the mission?”

He shook his head and briefly glanced at you. “No. She’s not telling me, or anyone else for that matter.”

You gave a little pout. “I see…”

He reached out and placed his hand on your knee, and you quickly covered his hand with your own, entwining your fingers with his. 

“How long do you think we’ll be stuck at Leopoldsburg?”

He shrugged. “Depends. We both need to get back in shape. I’m thinking at least six weeks.”

Six weeks and afterwards the mission. You had no idea how long that would take. There was still a Preventer team working on trying to locate Devlin, but he was still off the grit and didn’t show himself. It would be difficult to track him, so your mission might take weeks if you had to join the investigation. And afterwards, you would finally be able to return home and get settled in a routine again. One that involved a relationship with the gorgeous man sitting next to you. 

You glanced at his profile and smiled. He had slipped on aviator sunglasses as he drove, and he looked badass and tough as hell. This was the commander that gave rookies quivering knees. You knew what if felt like to be under that judging and scrutinizing stare. You knew he wasn’t easy to please, that he expected the best from anyone he worked with. He would expect the best from you again and you were prepared to work hard and give him that. And you wouldn’t expect anything less in return.

“I want you to promise me something,” you said quietly.

“Hmm?”

“Don’t hold back on me.”

It would be difficult for him. The honorable part of him would always be careful and respectful, because you were a woman. You wanted him to let that go. You wanted him to use his full strength against you, like Heero had done that one time back in the Preventer gym. He had been brutal. And while Wufei could be demanding and harsh, he had never brutally fought you. Back then you had accepted that, but now you would no longer. You were stronger, more skilled than you had been three years ago. You were confident you could handle his strength. 

“Why would I hold back on you?” he asked.

You smiled. “Because you always did back then. I don’t want you to anymore.”

He chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

-x-x-x-

For three weeks you worked hard, pushing your body to its limits. Your muscles felt strained most of the time, your whole body ached, but it was so satisfying to race over the assault course, so damn fulfilling to work out and gain Wufei's full respect again. So far he hadn’t challenged you to a sparring session. Your body was getting used to the routine again, and he wouldn’t let you do anything that would harm your body while it was working as hard as it was. It suited you just fine. You worked on your stamina, woke up early for morning runs around the base, ate like a horse, and followed any training session Preventer threw at you. You were well aware of the other preventers’ curiosity as they watched you, and you couldn’t really blame them. 

Most of the people at the base were lower ranked agents, some fresh from the academy, who came in for training sessions for a few weeks, before heading back to their main office. Some remained longer, preparing for missions. Those were usually the agents that would look at you twice, because you were training with their superior. Wufei was well known among them. You sometimes would catch ends of conversations as you walked down hallways or entered the cafeteria. It made you feel a little uneasy. You didn't want them to gossip about Wufei. Gossip would spread, and it could make things difficult for you. You were careful, making sure to keep your distance, not to look at him too fondly, not to stare when he decided to be a cruel tease and took his shirt off while working out. 

God, you really wanted to strangle him when he did that. And today had been no exception. It was the reason why you had walked out on him during a training session after getting into a fight with him. Utterly frustrated, you threw open the door to your room and sank down on the bottom bunk with a sigh, dropping your towel and bag of toiletries beside you. Your roommate, a younger agent named Rachel, leaned over the edge of the top bunk to look at you.

“You okay?” she asked you.

“Yeah…” you muttered while rubbing your hands over your face. You were dead tired, and the sexual frustration didn’t help any. “Just worn out.”

“I can imagine,” Rachel quipped with a wink. “The Major can be tough to please.”

You grunted. “Tell me about it.”

You fell back on the bed and sighed, your eyes drifting shut. You were in dire need of sleep. But it seemed you weren’t getting any anytime soon, as Wufei appeared in the doorway.

“You!” he barked, while pointing a finger at you. “Outside. Now.”

You cracked open an eye and gave him a lazy stare. “Why?”

“You don’t walk out on me.”

“I just did, didn’t I?” you asked him. 

His eyes blazed with fury. “You brat. Outside, NOW!”

You rolled your eyes, but got up before he would bite your head off. You followed him down the hallway, taking leisure steps just to irritate him more. The tense line of his shoulders told you he was boiling with anger. It had been a while since he had gotten angry with you, that night on L2 the last time he had glared at you with disdain. The memory made you shiver with a strange sense of anticipation. 

He walked into an empty office and you followed him inside, crossing your arms in front of you as you waited for him to close the door. 

“Now what?” you asked him.

“Your lack of respect for me is going to cost you.”

You raised an eyebrow in mockery. “Cost me?”

His glare was fierce. “I’m the superior officer here. When I tell you to stay, you don’t walk out.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “Last time I checked, I was your partner, but whatever.”

He balled his hands into fists at his sides, a sign that he was trying not to grab onto you. The past few weeks you had barely touched, only when it was strictly necessary. For a brief moment you allowed yourself to imagine what would happen if he did reach out. Would he rage, or would he kiss you?

“I don’t understand why it’s so hard to follow orders.”

“Oh, fuck you, Wufei!” you snapped, your anger spiking at his snarky superior act. “Keep your fucking shirt on next time and then I might think about it.”

You stomped past him and opened the door, storming down the hallway. 

“Get back here! I’m not done with you yet, Woman!”

You threw him a feisty glare over your shoulder. “Kiss my ass, Major!”

Onyx eyes blazing, he set after you. “Why, you…”

You were just about to enter your room, when Rachel barged out, your cell phone in her hand. You nearly crashed into her.

“-Y/N-!” she grabbed your arm to steady herself. “The Citadelle hospital in Liège just called for you. It’s about your mother.”

Immediately the anger disappeared, being replaced by a terrible fear. “What happened? Is she okay?”

“She was brought in after being gunned down on the street.” Rachel kept hold of your arm, supporting you in case you needed it. “They are operating her now, but you need to go there.”

You felt all color drain from your face as a cold feeling settled over you. The world around you seemed to fade away as Rachel’s words registered. Your mother was hurt and there was only one person who could be responsible. Devlin…

Your knees buckled, but strong hands grabbed onto you to steady you. Wufei…

“I need… I need to go there,” you said softly, to none in particular. 

“I know,” Wufei said. “I’ll drive you.”

You raised a trembling hand to your throat as if trying to keep hold of the panic that threatened to consume you. Your breath was coming in gasps. Tears clouded your vision. Guilt, so strong that it nearly made you double over, consumed you. This was your fault. Devlin was out to get you and now he was using the people dear to you. That bastard.

You sobbed, pressing both your hands over your mouth. “Oh God.”

“Shh…” Rachel ushered you into the room, away from prying eyes, and made you sit down on the chair in the corner. “She is alive, okay? They said there was hope.”

Wufei busied himself by grabbing your duffel bag and stuffing in some clothes. He grabbed your wallet and passport from the desk in the corner, and your bag of toiletries from the bed. “Agent McCain, stay with her. I’ll be right back.”

He left the room, leaving you with Rachel. She did her best to comfort you, holding both your hands as you sat a trembling mess. 

“Oh God...” you whispered over and over again. You couldn’t bring yourself to stay calm. You were utterly frightened. 

Rachel handed you your jacket, which you hastily pulled on over the sweatpants and shirt you had been planning to sleep in. Wufei came back into the room, your duffel bag slung over his shoulder. 

“Let’s go,” he said. 

You got up to follow him. Rachel rubbed her hand over your back and handed you your phone. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” you murmured, before leaving the room to trail after Wufei.

He was quick and efficient, navigating down the corridors to the exit of the building. You had to hasten your stride to keep up with him. He offered you no comfort, and you didn’t expect him to, although a deep longing to be in his arms overtook you. You scrambled into the passenger’s seat of his car while he fired the engine, and by the time you had managed to put on your seatbelt, he had already left the base. You watched as he navigated through the evening traffic, while searching through his phone’s menu. 

“’Fei…” you said softly. “You’re driving.”

“I need to call Une.”

You tried not to wince at his clipped tone and reached for his phone and took it from him, shuffling his contacts until you had found the right number. 

“Put her on speaker.”

You did as he asked and waited for Une to pick up. She did after the second ring. “Agent Chang.”

“Ma’am. I need an agent to meet me at the Citadelle hospital in Liège in an hour.”

“At the hospital? What is going on?”

“Agent –L/N-‘s mother is currently being operated there after being gunned down on the street.”

There was a sharp intake of breath. “Is Devlin behind this?”

“I think so, yes.”

“I’ll send Agent Brand right away.”

“I expect him to assist the police in their investigation and to guard Mrs. –L/N- until Devlin is behind bars again.”

“Count on it.”

The phone call was ended abruptly. 

You took a deep breath and leaned back in your seat, dropping the phone in the cup holder between the seats. A grim silence stretched between the two of you. Reality began to set in again.

“I’ll fucking kill him when I get to him,” you whispered angrily. 

Wufei gave you a brief glance before concentrating on the road again. “Are you okay?”

“No.” You crossed your arms in front of you and gazed out of the window. 

He reached out and placed his hand on your knee. After the unsolved argument, his offer of comfort was a little awkward, but no less appreciated. Tears stung your eyes once more and they rolled down your cheeks, while sobs racked your body. 

“-Y/N-,” Wufei said, his tone still a little gruff. “I need you to stay calm.”

“Easy for you to say!” you snapped between sobs. “Your mother is not fighting for her life at the moment!”

He sighed deeply and swung the car to the side of the road, ignoring the blaring horns behind him. The car slowed to a stop and he killed the engine before undoing his seatbelt. He pushed the armrest between the seats out of the way and attacked your seatbelt. 

“What are you doing?” you snapped, a note of hysteria in your voice.

He yanked you into his arms and held you. His warmth and scent enveloped you and stunned you into silence. His hand was in your hair, cradling your head as he pressed you against him. Your fingers curled around the lapels of his jacket on their own accord. 

“’Fei…”

“Shhh… It’s okay.”

More tears ran down your cheeks and you pressed your face into his shoulder. He let you cry until your tears ran out. He offered you no words, but simply held you, his hands in your hair, his lips pressed against your temple. When you finally gained control over your emotions again, you pulled back to look at him. The conflicting emotions in his gaze made your belly tighten. He obviously was struggling with his earlier anger at you still, but there was also tenderness in the dark depths. 

He wiped your cheeks and he leaned in to press a kiss against your forehead. “Just breathe. You need to be strong now, okay?”

You nodded meekly and allowed your body to slip back into the passenger seat. You fastened your seat belt again, while Wufei started the car and swung it back onto the road. 

-x-x-x-

Hours passed before you were allowed to visit your mother. She was still unconscious after her operation, the sedatives and painkillers allowing her to sleep deeply. After the doctor assured you that she would be fine, Wufei coaxed you to leave the hospital, and you did so reluctantly. It was already past midnight, when he drove you to a hotel close by and you hung back as he arranged for a room, before following him towards the elevator and into the hotel room.

Your meek behavior wasn’t lost on him, but he didn’t comment as you quickly grabbed your bag of toiletries and went into the bathroom. You needed a shower again. Hospitals always made you feel uneasy and you needed to scrub away the scent of the sick and dying. You stood in the shower, your posture slumped, your hands pressed against the tile in front of you as the spray of hot water pounded on your back. Your mind was foggy with the need for sleep, but you feared you wouldn’t be getting any during the night. The image of your mother, looking pale an frail in the hospital gown, was stuck in your head, and you felt another surge of guilt as you once more realized that she was in there because of you. 

You heard the door to the bathroom open, but didn’t acknowledge Wufei’s presence in the room. You were too tired to deal with him. At the hospital he had taken care of all the details, but he hadn’t been very comforting. Nevertheless you were glad he had been there, but his cold behavior stung and messed with your already frail state of mind. You were torn up inside. You needed him, but you also thought he should apologize for his behavior earlier. His attitude had been uncalled for.

You straightened abruptly when the screen door was pushed open, and glanced at Wufei over your shoulder as he stepped into the shower behind you. You turned your head to face the wall again and kept silent. You’d wait for him to make the first move. You tensed when he slid his arms around your waist from behind and pulled you back against him. He pressed his face into your wet hair and sighed. Slowly, knot by knot, the tension in your body unraveled, until you were leaning back against him.

“Don’t beat yourself up over this,” he said quietly. “It’s not your fault that your mother is in the hospital.”

“No, but she is in there because Devlin is out to get me,” you murmured. “I’m not going to let this slide.”

“I’m not expecting you to.” He tightened his grip on you and pressed a kiss against your temple. 

You turned around in his arms and wrapped your arms around his waist, huddling against his chest. He rubbed his chin over your hair, holding you tightly. He was finally offering you the comfort you needed from him. 

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said. “I was being an ass.”

“It’s okay…”

He gently coaxed you to look at him. “It’s not. It was wrong of me to use my position within Preventer against you.”

His fingers caressed over your cheek, gentle and tender in their touch. He gave you a small smile. “I shouldn’t have acted like that. I didn’t realize…”

“What?” you questioned. “How difficult it is to be around you but not being allowed to touch? I miss you ‘Fei.”

“I miss you too,” he told you. 

The earnest look in his eyes was all you needed. You tugged him down for a kiss and sighed at the contact after weeks of missing it. He slid his hands down your back in one slow caress, making you shiver as nerves awakened. He took the kiss deeper, exploring anew, and you whimpered under his tender onslaught. You slid your hands into his hair, which he had pulled loose before joining you in the shower, and it stuck to his shoulders and back as you ran your hands through it. Every nerve ending came alive and you forgot all about your fatigue. 

There was only you and him. Nothing else mattered…

-x-x-x-

You slowly woke from sleep, bit by bit becoming aware of your surroundings, and of the warm body in bed next to you. Wufei slept on his stomach beside you, his arm thrown over your upper body. His breath caressed over your shoulder. You opened your eyes and blinked the sleep from them, trying to see in the faint light that filtered through the curtains.

A soft, content sigh escaped you as you turned your gaze towards your lover. You had seen him sleep before, but never this close to you, and not quite so peaceful. His hair was loose and tangled from sleep, spilling over the pillows and ticking your arm. Shadows played over his handsome face, and you couldn’t resist the urge to trail your fingers over his jawline. Light stubble had formed since the day before, and the feeling of it against your fingertips made your belly tighten. You were firmly reminded of the fact that his was not the boy who had just reached adulthood when you had first met him. This was a man in the prime of his life. Beautiful and strong, ruthless, and yet so innocent as he slept. 

You let your fingers slide over his arm, tracing the lines of the dragon inked into his skin. The details still mesmerized you. You shifted onto your side, careful not to wake him, and just lay watching him for a while. Sometimes you still couldn’t believe that he was yours after all. But you understood that he had needed to grow the past three years. He was so different from how he had been then. He was more open, more at ease with himself, and he admitted it more easily when he made a mistake, like last night.

You recalled the words he had whispered against your forehead as he had lowered you to the bed. He had probably thought you to be asleep, and truth to be told you had been on the verge of unconsciousness, too tired to function after his tender lovemaking in the shower.

_“My warrior woman...”_

To you it was the ultimate praise. It was something that held value to him as it somehow connected you to him and his past, his clan. The warrior that he was. He had found his equal in you.

You leaned in to press your lips against his temple. “I love you,” you whispered into his hair. “So much…”

You heard the change in his breathing, saw the awareness settle on his features. A smile spread on your face as you watched him wake up. Onyx eyes opened and blinked.

“Why are you awake?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep. 

“I don’t know,” you said softly. 

He rolled over onto his back and pulled you into his arms. “Did you have a nightmare?”

“No,” you murmured. “I slept fine.”

You snuggled up against him and sighed contently. His heartbeat was a steady drum in your ear, and it was very tempting to drift off again. But you were determined to stay awake. You wanted to get up early and head to the hospital. 

“Will people talk?” you questioned softly. “About you leaving with me?”

“I imagine they will,” he murmured. 

“Won’t it bother you?”

“No.” He ran a hand down your back. “You are more important than that and besides… I went with you as your partner.”

You smiled. “Yeah… My very pissed off partner.”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. They are used to me chewing people out. Makes them more determined to succeed.”

“I see…” Your lips drew together in a pout. “So you were just trying to motivate me, calling me a brat?”

“You were being a brat,” he teased you. 

You lifted your head from his chest to give him a cheeky grin. “Makes you want to fight back, right?”

He reached out and pushed a lock of hair behind your ear before cupping your cheek. “Made me want to do a lot of other things too.”

“Hmm… I can imagine.” You slipped your leg over his hips and straddled him. You took hold of his wrist and turned your face into his hand, kissing the palm. “It’s still early and I’m not planning on going back to sleep.”

Hunger flashed in his gaze. In the dim light his eyes seemed pitch black and bottomless, luring you in. “What happened to keeping your hands to yourself?”

You smirked and leaned in. “We’re not at the base right now, ‘Fei…”

-x-x-x-

Agent Brand smiled at you as you reached him. He was standing guard at the door to your mother’s room, a styrofoam cup filled with coffee in his hands. He was a good looking man for his age still, with a gentle look to him and kind brown eyes. “Good morning, Agent –L/N-.”

“Good morning,” you greeted him back politely. “Is my mother awake?”

“She woke up during the night, but went to sleep soon after,” Agent Brand said. “She is up now and feeling much better.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. Is the doctor around here somewhere?”

“I told him I expected you to be here early, so he will be here soon I think.”

“Thanks, Agent Brand.”

He stepped aside to let you into the room and you carefully opened the door. The sight of your mother sitting up against the pillows made relief course through you. She was still pale, and looked a bit shaken up, but she was okay.

“Hi Mom,” you said softly as you approached her.

“-Y/N-.” She sounded a little forlorn, so you went in to hug her. “I don’t understand what happened.”

“It’s okay, Mom…” you told her, while sitting down at the edge of the bed. “You’re safe here.”

“It happened so suddenly,” she said, tears choking her voice. “There was this young man, a boy still… And he just pointed a gun at me.”

“I know…” Your own breath shook with emotion as you tightened your grip on her. “It’s because of me. But I am glad you are okay.”

She drew back to give you a watery smile. “I’m so happy to see you.”

“Me too, Mom,” you said. 

You looked around when the door opened again. Wufei came walking in, carrying a tray with steaming cups on it. “I brought you some coffee,” he said. “And tea for you, Mrs. –L/N-. The nurse said you could have some.”

“Thank you,” your mother said, while taking the cup from him. 

Wufei sat down in the chair next to the bed after handing you your cup of coffee, and rested his free hand on your knee. The gesture was a little possessive, and it wasn’t lost on your mother, but she didn’t comment on it and simply sipped her tea.

You gave her a small smile. “Wufei arranged for the guard at your door. He will stay with you until we are sure you’re absolutely safe.”

“So you think you know who is responsible?” she asked.

You nodded. “There is a man that we arrested a few years ago. He broke out of prison and wants revenge. He is also the one who gave the orders for that bomb to be put around my neck.”

“I see…” she seemed thoughtful. “Then I imagine you want my statement.”

You took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, being mindful of the IV attached to it. “You can give it to Agent Brand. He will work together with the police in the investigation, as this is a matter that concerns Preventer.”

“Are you going after this man?”

“Yes. I won’t rest until he is behind bars again,” you told her. “Especially not after what he did to you.”

“I am proud of you,” your mother said softly, while reaching out to touch your cheek. “I might not have expressed it well, but I am. And I am glad Preventer is giving you another chance.”

You gave her a warm smile and kissed her cheek. “Thanks Mom.”

And then she turned her attention to Wufei. For a moment you feared she would be her old unkind self again towards him, but she proved you wrong. “And you, boy… I trust you to take care of my daughter.”

You had trouble hiding your amusement at the fact that she called him a boy, and gave a delicate cough in your fist to mask the giggle that threatened to escape you.

“I will,” Wufei promised solemnly. 

“Good. You have not always been kind to her but if she can forgive you, you must be worth it.”

This time you couldn’t stop yourself from snorting. “Mom!”

“Don’t laugh at me,” she said, while jutting out her chin in defiance. It was a gesture that you had in common with her. “I’m being very serious.”

“I know,” you said, and couldn’t hide the obvious affection in your voice.

It seemed as if your last conversation with her had really been a turning point. She was smiling at you, obviously happy to see you. 

“Now tell me,” she said, while lowering her voice. “That agent outside is not wearing a ring.”

“Jesus!” you exclaimed. “What’s in that pain medication they’re giving you?”

Wufei was obviously trying not to laugh, pressing a balled up fist against his lips. The clear amusement in his eyes had you giggling. 

“My mind is perfectly clear,” you mother said with a completely straight face. 

“Uhuh…” You grinned at her.

She sobered a little and gave you an earnest look. “When you go out there, promise me you’ll be careful.”

“You know I always am,” you assured her. 

She smiled. “Good. You look happy, -Y/N-.”

“I am.” 

She carefully hugged you and sighed. 

“Do the wounds hurt?” you asked her.

“The medication helps,” she told you. “The doctor told me I should be fine in a few weeks.”

The doctor had told you three bullets had been fired at your mother, but none of them had struck any vital organs. It was as if the shooter had been hesitant to kill her. Your mothers description of a young man pointing a gun at her, told you he probably had been pressured and unsure. Or maybe the shots weren’t meant to kill and just to give you a message. Either way, it had reminded you of how precious life was and how important your mother was to you, despite the difficult last few years. 

“We’ll have to leave soon,” you told her. “Take all the rest you need, okay?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow, is that alright?”

She nodded again. “-Y/N-?”

“Yes?”

“Will you tell… Never mind.”

“Hmm?” You gave her a questioning look.

She darted an uncomfortable look at Wufei, before speaking again. “Tell that other boy I’m sorry.”

“Jay?” you asked. 

“Yes. It was wrong of me to judge him so harshly.”

“He is not angry with you.”

“Still…”

“Yeah, I know.” You kissed her cheek. “Sleep some more. It will help with the healing.”

She gave you a smile. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” You got up from the bed and smiled at Wufei. “Let’s go.”

He nodded and got up as well. “Get well soon, Mrs. –L/N-.”

She gave him a halfhearted wave. As you left the room, you heard her mutter something that sounded a lot like _‘So damn polite.’_

After a brief conversation with the doctor, who once again assured you that your mother would be completely fine, you left the hospital and headed back to the base. You fell asleep during the drive, tired from the broken night and the emotional roller coaster. By the time Wufei woke you up, you were already back at the base.

“Sorry…” you murmured sleepily, while stretching in your seat. 

“It’s okay,” he told you.

You gave him a lazy smile. “I’d rather have spent the ride talking to you, you know…”

“I know.”

You got out of the car and followed him inside the building. “I’m gonna sleep some more, I think.”

“We can pick up the training again tomorrow.” 

You gave a general wave in his direction, before walking down the hallway to your room. Rachel was nowhere to be seen, and for that you were glad. You would have a few undisturbed hours for yourself. There was a large envelope with your name on it on your bed. You took it and examined it a little curiously. You wondered who would bother to send you mail. The handwriting was unfamiliar as well.

You opened the envelope and reached inside, pulling out a stack of photos. You froze with shock, your heart beating wildly with fear. The pictures were snapshots, taken in a hurry, and the person was pretty much unrecognizable. His eyes and face had been cut out, scratched over, but you recognized the posture and the tattooed arms. There was a note at the end of the stack.

_He is next…_

“WUFEI!”

You charged out of the room, racing down the corridors to his room at the far end of the hallway. He came out of his room, a frown on his face, but it quickly turned to concern as he took in the state you were in. 

He grasped your arms. “What’s the matter?”

Your eyes were wide with panic and clouded with tears. “Devlin… Jay…”

You shoved the pictures at him and he took them from you to examine them. He cursed when he saw the note. He pulled you inside his room and made you sit down on his bed. “Breathe…”

“I… He… ‘Fei, I want him safe!”

“I know,” he said gently, while pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

You pressed your hands over your mouth. First your mother and now Devlin was targeting Jay. How much did he know about you to target the people you cared about? You quickly dug your own phone from your pocket and dialed Jay’s number.

“Baby girl!” His cheerful greeting put you at ease a little. He was okay.

“Jay…” You took a deep breath. “Where are you?”

“I’m at home, Sweetie. Is something wrong?”

“I need you to stay there. Listen to me, there is this man and he has sent me pictures of you. He wants to hurt you to get to me.”

“I’m okay, - Y/N-. Don’t worry.”

“He is dangerous, Jay! He arranged for my mother to be shot on the streets yesterday.”

“Fuck. Is she alright?”

Tears spilled over your cheeks. “Yeah… She is okay. But I won’t risk any other people I care about.”

Wufei was busy making phone calls, and you looked up at him when you heard he was on the phone with Duo.

“Right. –Y/N-, I need his address. Duo will go over to him right away.”

You quickly gave him the details before turning your attention back to Jay. “There is going to be an agent coming for you. His name is Duo Maxwell.”

“How can I be sure it’s him when he rings the bell?”

“He has really long hair. Can’t miss him,” you said. “He’ll stay with you until we get this situation under control.”

“I see… He doesn’t stink does he?”

A hysterical giggle escaped you. “You idiot. No.”

“Alright. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

“I will anyway. This guy is not to be underestimated.”

“I’ll take your word for it. You’re not alone are you?”

“No… Wufei is with me.”

“Okay. I’ll let you know when this agent arrives, alright?”

“Yeah. Stay safe.”

“You too, Baby girl.”

The call was disconnected and you heaved a sigh of relief. You would do your utter best to stay ahead of Devlin in this matter. 

“Are you okay?” Wufei asked you.

“Yeah. Sorry… I didn’t mean to panic.” You pressed your hands against your face and sighed. “That bastard! Who does he think he is?”

“He just wants to scare you. He knows we are here and will go after him soon.” Wufei crouched down in front of you and placed his hands on your knees. “Duo will call me once he gets to Jay’s place.”

You leaned forward until your head rested against his shoulder. It was risky, but right now you needed to be close to him. “Thanks, ‘Fei.”

“Any time.” He pressed a kiss against your cheek. “You can sleep here if you want.”

You pulled back to look at him. “People are gonna talk.”

“I don’t care,” he said stubbornly. “Right now, you shouldn’t be alone. Besides, the door will be open and I’ll be reviewing very mundane reports behind my desk.”

You chuckled. “Alright, alright.”

You kicked off your shoes and curled up on his bed. You waited until you got a text from Jay, letting you know about Duo’s arrival, before you allowed yourself to fall asleep. 

-x-x-x-

With your mother and Jay safely guarded, you picked up your training again. You were more determined than ever to get that evaluation and head out to get Devlin. Dead or alive, it no longer mattered. You worked intensely, often training on your own for a few hours each day after dinner. Wufei was a little concerned about you overexerting yourself, but you waved off his questions each time he brought it up. You were okay. You really were. You just needed to put this asshole ruining your life out of the way.

It was a Saturday, and that usually meant that most of the agents left the base to head home for the weekend or into the surrounding villages for some leisure time. You stayed behind, very intend on spending the day in the lounge with a good book. You had no business going anywhere and besides it was shitty weather. 

You stretched out on one of the sofas and opened your book. You looked up when Wufei came walking in. 

“Hey,” you said softly. 

“Hey,” he murmured. He nudged your leg with his knee, and you pulled it up so he could sit down on the sofa as well. “No plans to work out today?” 

“Nope. Shit weather.”

“We could head into the gym.”

“Meh…”

“We could spar…” He let the suggestion hang in the air for a while, before giving you a challenging look. “Or are you not up for it?”

You grinned at him. “What do you think?”

He smirked. “Get changed.”

“Ay Sir.” You dropped your book on the coffee table and jumped up.

You quickly changed in your room, before heading towards the gym. There was a large area reserved for sparring matches, enough space for you to move around in. Anticipation settled in your stomach as you entered the room. Wufei was already warming up, clad in sweatpants and a tank top that clung to his torso. You bit your lip as you watched him stretch. God, he was so beautiful. 

“What are you waiting for?” he questioned you.

You rolled your eyes. “Bossy…”

He gave you a sharp look. 

You grinned at him and started warming up. 

Back in the academy, you had been taught basic martial arts. It wasn’t until you were partnered up with Wufei that you took a real interest in it. He had taught you many moves that he thought could be useful, but not everything. You had always watched him with envy as he worked out by himself, performing moves and combinations you knew he would never teach you. When you had met Jay after you dismissal, and had found out that he held a black belt in Taekwondo, you had practically begged him to take you under his wing and teach you. And Jay had taught you. He had thoroughly trained you in Taekwondo, Taekkyeon, and Kumdo. Although you had never partaken in any competitions or tournaments, you knew you were good and at a black belt level. Wufei had been right to call you his warrior woman. You were and you would prove it to him. 

When you were warmed up, you stepped onto the mat and gave your lover a challenging look. In your mind you were trying to figure out how to approach this. You wanted to surprise him, but only when he was least expecting it. 

As always, Wufei started his sparring sessions with a formal bow, before crouching in a fighting stance, his hands close to his face, fingers spread and thumps pressed against his palms. “You remember how to do this?”

You narrowed your gaze at him. “Tsk. Do you need to ask?”

He attacked, aiming a spinning kick at your head, which you easily blocked with your arm. You grinned with grim satisfaction when you noticed that the kick was more powerful than the ones he had thrown at you in the past. He wasn’t holding back. Good. 

You circled each other, and you looked for an opening to attack. He wasn’t letting his guard down, but neither were you. He lashed out again, and this time you exchanged a series of kicks and punches, only to dance out of his reach again. As the sparring match progressed, you noticed the fire in his eyes and were oddly taken in by it. You worked yourself into a sweat, slowly incorporating more of the knowledge Jay had taught you into the fight. 

At first, Wufei didn’t seem to notice. Most of your moves were similar to the ones he had taught you. But at some point he noticed how precise and fast you high aimed kicks were, and how good your technique was. He, however, didn’t comment on it and continued to challenge you to attack him. You weren’t buying it and as soon as you saw a tiny opening, you charged towards him, using the momentum of your forward motion to launch yourself up. His eyes widened when you wrapped your legs around his neck and allowed gravity to pull you down. You gave a triumphant shout as you managed to break his balance and sent him flying over your head. You landed on the mat and rolled over, ending up in a crouch. 

Wufei lay flat on his back, looking a little stunned. You grinned at him. He slowly sat up and glanced at you over his shoulder. “Who taught you that?”

You didn’t get to answer, because a familiar voice did it for you. 

“I did.”

**\- End part 4 -**


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for an update on this one! I’m determined to have the final part posted next week. Enjoy! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**The dream is still alive  
Part 5**

_Preventer Base, Leopoldsburg, AC 205_

You were scrambling up and bolting across the dojo, launching yourself at Jay with barely retrained joy and relief. “Jay!”

He was quick to grab you around the waist and spun you around, a grin on his beautiful face. “Hey you!”

You hugged him hard, before pulling back, touching his cheeks and shoulders, making sure he was alright. “You’re here…”

He gave a shrug and combined it with a charming smile. “Seems I am.”

You laughed and hugged him again, burying your face in his chest. He held you tightly and pressed a kiss against your temple. 

“You doing okay?”

“Yeah… totally.” You pulled back from the hug and grabbed his wrist, dragging him towards Wufei. “I want you to meet Wufei.”

You watched as the two men regarded one another. Wufei’s back was ramrod straight and he exuded authority, clearly stating he was the one in charge here. Jay was more laid back, his stance a little slouched, as he had a good few inches on your boyfriend in height and didn’t need to make himself seem any taller than he already was. You had always thought Wufei to be beautiful, but in comparison with Jay he was ruggedly handsome. Jay’s almost delicate features made him insanely pretty. The only thing they seemed to have in comparison was the long hair, although Jay preferred to wear his loose in a style with a side cut that only emphasized his dainty appearance, and their love for ink. 

Jay extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, man.”

Wufei shook it and you could clearly see they both put a little bit more force to it than was necessary. That nearly made you roll your eyes, but you caught yourself just in time. They were testing each other, but you trusted them both enough to know they would be civil. 

“Chang Wufei.”

“Lee Jae-Joon.”

A smile tugged at your lips as Wufei introduced himself formally, last name first. 

Jay flashed an easy smile. “I see my _hakseang_ managed to surprise you.”

“That won’t happen a second time,” Wufei said with a smirk in your direction. 

You grinned back at him, feeling a little triumphant over the fact that he acknowledged your victory. “Don’t be too sure of that, ‘Fei. I still got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“I’m sure you have, Woman. I’ll be prepared.”

“Aah, good. No decapitation happened yet.”

You whirled around at the sound of Duo’s voice. “Duo!”

“Hiya Babe. Missed me?” He gave a cheeky grin as he approached you and pulled you into a hug. 

“You? Nah…” You kissed his cheek in greeting before stepping back. 

“Hands off, Maxwell.”

“Jeez, ‘Fei…” The braided man patted Wufei on the back. “Not like I’m gonna steal her away from you. Yet.”

The last part was said with a flirty wink in your direction. Wufei rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like _‘idiot’_. 

“So, what are you doing here?” you asked Jay.

Jay gestured over his shoulder with his thump, in the direction of the bag he had dropped near the edge of the dojo. “I thought we could train, but you’ve already worked out.”

Your eyes lit up as you eyed the bag. “Did you…”

Jay smirked. “Of course.”

You quickly made a dash for the bag and opened it, carefully taking out a bundle of cloth. You unwrapped it and smiled at the sight of your _samjeongdo_. You unsheathed the blade and eyed it, noticing that Jay had thoroughly polished it before bringing it to you. 

In Kumdo, wooden blades were usually used for training, but Jay had taught you to fight with a real, traditional Korean sword. The clang of metal was more satisfying and wooden sticks were not the way of the warrior. 

You tightened your grip on the handle and pointed the tip of the sword in Jay’s direction. “Get ready, _Suseung-nim_.”

He was already pulling his hair up in a ponytail. “Let me get warmed up.”

You sheathed the sword and put it down on the cloth before stretching. Wufei approached you and you noticed the look in his eyes. He looked a little uncertain, and you were quick to realize that it was you who had put that uncertainty there. You had kept something from him and Jay being here only rubbed it in. Guilt settled like a heavy stone in your stomach.

“’Fei?” you questioned him softly. 

“You didn’t tell me,” he said quietly. 

You bit your lip and nodded. You reached for his hand and pulled him with you and out of the room. In the hallway you turned towards him and gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I should have told you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

You shrugged, and looked down at the ground, unable to look at him as you said it. “Because I still feel a need to prove myself to you.”

“There’s no need for that.”

You shook your head and sighed. “You don’t understand. God, I barely do myself.”

To your embarrassment you felt tears come up and you were unable to stop them. You rubbed at your eyes and desperately willed the tears away. 

“I felt worthless for three fucking years,” you said softly. “And you put me there. Not only because you rejected me, but also because back then you were unwilling to teach me everything you know. You didn’t want to share that part of you with me. And I wanted… so badly to understand, to learn. You took all of that away from me.”

You had never told anyone this, not even Jay. But now it came pouring out and you couldn’t seem to stop. You didn’t want to hurt Wufei, didn’t want to keep on reminding him of how badly he had hurt you. But he had a right to know, and you hoped he might understand. 

“I met Jay in a bar. I was smashed and miserable, and I tried to punch him when he made a move on me.” A small smile came to play over your face as you remembered. “He knew right away that I had been taught and taught well, despite me not being able to throw a decent hit. He asked and I told him to go fuck himself. I was so… horrible, I guess. Jay has seen me at my worst, but he saw something in me and invited me to his grandfather’s gym. I slept off the hangover and went the next day. I found him training with his friend and… I was so awed. I wanted to be that good. I practically begged him to train me and he did.”

You paused and dared to look up at him for a moment. He was looking at you, his expression unreadable. 

“I went in with selfish motives. I wanted to prove to you that I was not worthless, that I was your equal in any way…. That I could be like you.” You pressed your hand over your mouth. It was difficult to admit that he still had been the center of your world after his rejection. It was pathetic. Tears clouded your vision once more. “I wanted, so badly, to be right for you…”

Wufei moved in and cupped your cheeks, resting his forehead against yours. “-Y/N-…” He sounded tormented. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay…” you whispered. “You see… Jay figured I had ulterior reasons for becoming his student. At some point I had no choice but to tell him. He got really angry at me. Not even for using him, but because I was so hung up over a guy. In order to grow I had to let go of you. I thought I did but I was lying to myself. When I saw you again… I told myself I hated you, but…” you shook your head and gave him a smile.

He tucked your head under his chin and held you. You slipped your arms around his waist and buried your face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent deeply. 

“In the beginning I kept Jay a secret from you, because I knew he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut if he caught us arguing. And when we got together I want wanted to tell you everything… I really did. I just didn’t know how and figured it was just best to show you.”

“Just how well did he train you?”

You smirked. “I’m at a black belt level in Taekwondo and I am well trained in Taekkyeon, and Kumdo.”

“I see…” he sounded awed. “Is there anything left for me to teach you?”

You smiled up at him. “I still got plenty to learn when it comes to Wushu.”

He pressed a kiss against your forehead. Your eyes drifted shut at the contact.

“’Fei…” you whispered. “Kiss me.”

You hadn’t expected him to actually comply. You were out in the hallway, and despite the base being deserted it was still risky. But he no longer seemed to care and slanted his lips over yours. A content sigh escaped you as he deepened the kiss and backed you up against the wall. You brought a hand up to cup his cheek and lost yourself in him. You pressed yourself up against his body and gasped into his mouth when his hand slid down your back to squeeze your buttock. 

“We should stop,” he murmured against your lips.

“Then stop,” you told him. 

He caught your bottom lip between his teeth and gently sucked on it. You opened your eyes to look at him. The hunger in his obsidian eyes made you tremble to your bones. You kissed him again, your breath quickening with desire. Pressed so close to him, you could clearly feel the effect the kiss had on him and it only added fuel to the fire. Your need for him grew with each passing second. You had totally forgotten about Jay and Duo still being there in the next room, too focused on Wufei and on the feeling of his rock hard body pressed against you. 

You tore your mouth away from his to gasp for air and buried your face against his neck. “All these stolen moments are driving me crazy.”

He buried both his hands in your hair, thoroughly messing up the pony tail you had it pulled up in, and made you look at him. His thumps caressed over your cheeks, and a slow smile spread across his face as he leaned in for another kiss. But this time it was gentle. 

“You’re making me break way too many rules,” he said before stepping back. 

You grinned at him. “Rules are meant to be broken.”

He grunted. “Go on in. I’ll be right there.”

You stepped forward and nuzzled his shoulder, resting your hand against his chest. His breath hitched when you slid it down over his abdomen to the waistband of his sweatpants. He caught your hand before it could wander down any further. 

“Insufferable,” he murmured. “You really are out to drive me insane.”

You chuckled and moved passed him, your hands reaching for your hair to fix the pony tail. “Come on in and watch.”

-x-x-x-

With a victorious shout you swept past the agent with the stop watch, digging your heels in the loose sand of the assault course to stop your forward momentum.

“And?” you questioned, while moving over to look at the stopwatch.

“A new personal record!” he said with a grin.

“That’s fucking great!” you exclaimed, and grinned at Wufei, who had already finished his round before you.

“Well done.” Zechs Merquise commented from the sideline. He was holding a clipboard, on which he had been scribbling notes. “If you clear the Medical check, you’ll be ready to go.”

“About damn time,” you said with a grin. 

“Agent Po will arrive around eight AM tomorrow to review your records and check you over.”

Wufei visibly stiffened. “Sally?”

Zechs gave him a smirk. “You got a problem with that?”

Wufei frowned. “No.”

“Good.” Zechs walked off.

You directed a questioning look at Wufei, but he shook his head, a clear indication that he didn’t want to talk about it. 

You followed him inside the base and stretched your arms above your head as you walked. “Finally!”

“You worked hard,” Wufei complimented you. “Tomorrow the research team will brief us on their findings, and then we’re ready to go.”

“So, China huh?” you asked.

Wufei gave a curt nod. “Of all places.”

You gave a shrug. “I can understand why he would choose such a place. It’s mountainous and the countryside is a quiet enough area to hide away.”

“Not quiet enough to hide under our radar,” Wufei said. “It’s a risk he took to provoke us. I think he is planning something.”

“I’m sure he is.”

The last time you had gone out to arrest Devlin, he had made a similar move, coming out of hiding but not quite. It was almost like a cat and mouse game, only this time the mouse was the dangerous opponent. Devlin was not to be underestimated. The man was a notorious arms dealer who didn’t shy away from dirty businesses and making victims. He gave no damn about human lives being at stake. 

The research team working to locate him had found out he had returned to Earth and had hidden himself somewhere in a rural area near Chengdu in China. The research team, along with a couple of selected field agents would help you and Wufei catch Devlin. It gave you a grim feeling of satisfaction that in less than a few days, you would be in China looking for the bastard. You would make him pay for hurting your mother and threatening Jay. 

The next morning, at eight sharp, you approached Agent Po’s office. You had heard the whispers the evening before. Her connection to Wufei had you curious, so after dinner you had cornered him to wheedle the information out of him. Sally Po was his former partner. The partner that had left for L4, the one that you had replaced. The former partner that Wufei held in high regard, even after six years of not seeing her. 

Some gut instinct told you that there was more to it than Wufei was willing to tell you, but you didn’t push the issue. You trusted him, although you couldn’t help but wonder. 

Wufei knocked on the door.

“Come in!” It was a pleasant voice. 

Wufei opened the door and stepped into the office. “Sally.”

“Wufei!” The utter delight in her voice had you blinking.

You followed Wufei inside, just in time to catch a gorgeous blonde woman throwing her arms around his neck. She hugged him fiercely, her face buried in his shoulder. Wufei seemed utterly shocked at her enthusiastic hug and stood awkwardly. 

“God, just look at you!” she beamed up at him.

The warmth in her gaze threw you off and you fought the insane flare of jealousy that clawed at your stomach. No matter how much you trusted Wufei, you just knew that more had happened between them than just a partnership. 

“Sally.” Wufei untangled himself from her and took a step back, before mentioning you over. “This is - Y/N-.”

“Aah, you’re his partner for the mission.” She gave you a friendly smile and shook your hand.

You couldn’t dislike her. She radiated a warmth and friendliness that made it impossible. So you directed your glare at Wufei instead and had the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. Oh yes… Definitely more than partners at some point. 

“I am,” you said with a friendly smile in her direction. “So, who’s up first?”

“You can go first,” Wufei said.

“Fine.” You pinned him with a frosty look and shrugged out of your jacket. You hung it over the back of one of the chairs that stood in front of Sally’s desk, and then pulled your shirt over your head. 

You stood in your sports bra and pants, and let Sally prod at your arms and back, a smirk tugging at your lips as she complimented you on the excellent shape you were in. 

“No sore muscles or anything?” she asked.

You shook your head. “No.”

“Alright.” She picked up her note pad and scribbled something on it. Then she took her stethoscope and listened to your heart and lungs. “Excellent. Any diseases that you suffered from in the past?”

You shook your head.

“Are you sexually active?”

“Yes.” Your voice was firm, but you felt the heat flare across your cheeks and avoided looking in Wufei’s direction. 

“Your file says you take Microgynon as a contraceptive, is that correct?”

You nodded.

“Did you and your partner get tested?” she asked.

You were uncomfortably aware of the fact that the word partner nowadays held a double meaning, unbeknownst to the woman standing in front of you.

“I’m clean,” you said.

“And your partner?”

“Eh…”

“I’m clean,” Wufei commented from his place across the room.

You whirled around to gape at him, while Sally stared at him with an utterly shocked look on her face. Then an amused smile spread across her face. “I see.”

You would not stand there and be ridiculed. “Fuck you, Wufei.”

You grabbed your shirt and dashed out of the office. Anger coursed through your veins as you made your way outside, crossing the field towards the woods that lined the eastern side of the base. You were so livid! For weeks you had tried to behave, kept your feelings for him hidden, only for him to screw everything up in front of his former partner! A woman who had obviously been more to him than just a partner! Did he think this was funny? 

You reached the fence and furiously kicked at it, before grasping it with your hands to give it a good shake. 

“-Y/N-!”

You whirled around to glare at Wufei. “What the fuck was that?”

“What do you mean?”

“For weeks I’ve kept my distance and you just fucking threw everything out of the window!”

“I can trust Sally,” he said simply. “And so can you.”

“How the fuck would I know? I don’t know her!” you spat. “You could have warned me.”

“About what?”

You crossed your arms in front of your chest and looked away from him. “I’m not stupid.”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Whatever happened between me and Sally is the past.”

“No shit, but you could have at least told me that she is your ex.”

“She’s not,” he said. “It was just… one night and then she left. There is no reason for you to be jealous.”

“I’m not,” you ground out. “I know where we stand and Sally is way too… likable I guess.”

A small smile tugged at his lips. “Good.”

“You’re not off the hook yet, Chang. Jesus. You nearly gave me a heart attack.” You rubbed your hands down your cheeks and turned around to kick the fence some more. 

“Sorry,” he said. 

You took a few deep breaths before you faced him again. “How am I supposed to go back there now?”

“Just go,” he told you simply. “She won’t judge you and it’s my fault anyway.”

You grumbled under your breath. “It’s good you squirmed.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

You followed him back to the base, but with each step you took you grew more mortified with the idea of facing gorgeous Sally after running out of her office like that. Your stomach was in knots when you knocked on her door again.

“Come in.”

“I’ll wait here,” Wufei said, while seating himself in one of the chairs that lined the wall. 

You realized he was giving you some space and for that you were grateful. It was easier to face Sally alone than with him in tow. You gave him a small smile and went inside.

“I’m sorry about running off like that,” you said after closing the door.

Sally gave you a friendly smile from across the room and mentioned you to sit in one of the chairs in front of her desk. You did so and swallowed as you looked at her.

“It’s quite alright,” she told you. “Wufei is not very tactical sometimes.”

You bit your lip and nodded.

“I am supposed to report this, but I’m guessing Commander Une is already aware of the situation between the two of you?”

“She is,” you said. “We weren’t colleagues when we got together.”

“Aah…” A small frown formed between Sally’s eyebrows. 

“Wufei and I have quite a history,” you said with a shrug. “It’s a long story. I’ve only recently been reinstated within the agency and this mission is our final one.”

“I see.” She smiled. “For old time’s sake.”

“In a way. I am very aware of the fact that Wufei outranks me. I’m being very careful with hiding what I feel for him, so I was not expecting him to reveal it to you.” 

Sally’s smile widened. “I am glad he met you.”

You found yourself answering her smile.

“You have passed your Med Check, so you’re good to go. Send in that Major when you leave.”

“Will do.” You got up and left her office. 

-x-x-x- 

“We have searched all of these villages. We can only assume he is hiding here,” Agent Bonn said while pointing at a satellite photo of the focus area. The area he was pointing at was circled with red marker. “It’s an old power plant, no longer in use. Most of the buildings are run down, but this main building is still standing.”

You took a stack of photos from the table and checked them. “This has lots of rooms, I imagine.”

“Five stories high,” Agent Bonn confirmed. “We have the blue prints for you to look over.”

“Devlin likes to hide underground,” Wufei recalled. “We’ll need to scan the top floors, but our main focus will be the basement.”

“The building will be rigged with explosives, and he’ll have some guards with him. Last time there were ten men.” Agent Darwin, a serious looking woman with a black ponytail commented. “We have studied your previous reports on your mission.”

“We’ll need a team of field agents to back us up,” you said. “But I want you four to be at the local base to be our eyes in case we need it.”

Agent Bonn looked giddy with the prospect of travel. He was young, just two years out of the academy and looking for some action. The other two agents were just a year older than him, and had been along on missions before. Agent Darwin and Agent Simons delivered excellent work and knew what was expected of them.

“I have requested Agent Maxwell and his team to go with us,” Wufei said. “We’ll have enough man force to make this mission a success.”

“You what?” you exclaimed, while giving him a shocked look. “If Duo’s here, who is protecting Jay?”

“Commander Une charged a well trusted agent with the task. It’s only for a few days anyway,” Wufei said. “He is safe.”

“I have contacted the local Preventer base to scout the area for us while we travel,” Agent Darwin said. “They have provided us with a backup team as well.”

“Good.” You gave Wufei a small smirk. 

It gave you a grim sense of satisfaction to know that these agents had worked hard for this mission. You could trust them with your life. Devlin was going down and he would be going down hard. It was time you hauled his ass back to jail.

“Good work everyone,” Wufei said. “Let’s pack and get ready. Our shuttle leaves at 1700 hours.”

You left the meeting room and headed for your room, where your bag was already packed and waiting for you. You had two hours to kill until the shuttle would leave. Plenty enough time to make phone calls to your mother and Jay. 

Thirty minutes before boarding, Wufei appeared in the doorway. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah…” You got up from your reclined position on the bed and stretched. You had napped for about an hour, just to pass the time, and now you had trouble keeping your eyes open.

The look in Wufei’s eyes warmed when you retrieved your bag from the floor and approached him. “Sleepy?”

“Hmm…” you gave a nod. “I’ll sleep some more on the shuttle.”

“Come on.”

You followed him down the hallways and out of the building. Outside a Preventer vehicle was waiting to drive you to the runway. You slid into your seat and hid a yawn behind your hand. 

Across from you Duo gave you a grin. “Hi there, Sleepyhead.”

“Hi Duo,” you mumbled. “How is my _Suseung-nim_ doing?”

“Fine. Does he always eat so much?” Duo questioned. “It’s crazy. And he still looks like a stick figure.”

“Not a stick figure,” you protested halfheartedly. Jay definitely was not. He was lean, but there was a lot of muscle hiding under those oversized shirts he preferred to wear. Maybe compared to Duo’s bulked muscular frame he looked like a stick figure, but he was not skin over bones. “It’ll give him the advantage in a fight. You’ll be slow in comparison to him.”

Duo rolled his eyes. “Martial arts is not really my thing anyway.”

Duo preferred boxing and weightlifting to sparring. 

The vehicle came to a stop and you stepped out, stretching once more. Feeling more awake, you looked at the shuttle that would fly you to China. Wufei and Duo would pilot it. You supposed it gave them some kick to be in control of a huge machine, some reminiscent of their glory days. Or maybe they were just control freaks. 

The agents piled into the shuttle and got ready for takeoff.

Once the shuttle was steadily flying towards Chengdu, you wandered around, deciding to check on the stash of weapons Preventer had provided for the mission. You opened one of the trunks and carefully took out an automatic weapon. You inspected the munition, and checked the other trunks as well. This should do it…

You made your way back front and stepped into the cockpit. “Hey.”

Duo gave you a grin. “Hiya Babe.”

“I checked out the weapons and munition. Looks good,” you said, as you rested your elbows on the back of Wufei’s chair. “It should do the trick.”

“Make things go kaboom.” Duo shot you a wink.

“We’re not supposed to blow anything up, Maxwell,” Wufei commented dryly. 

You chuckled. “There’ll still be enough action for you two adrenaline junkies to enjoy.”

Wufei turned around in his seat, looking ready to protest. You held up a finger, a knowing smile on your face. Wufei sighed and shook his head. 

“So… How well do you know this area?” Duo asked Wufei.

He gave a casual shrug. “Well enough.”

Duo gave you a grin. “You should ask him to take you to the river area before we get back.”

You caught the warning look Wufei shot in Duo’s direction. You smiled. “Really? What’s there to see?”

Wufei scowled, obviously not very pleased. “I’ll show you.”

Two hours later, you found yourself in one of the bunks, trying to relax with a book. Wufei was sleeping in the bunk on the opposite side of the aisle, and you occasionally glanced at his face. He didn’t look relaxed. His body was tense, thrumming with awareness, a small frown marring his features. This was not the man who had slept next to you. This was the soldier, the warrior, ready to spring into action. It had been a long time since you had seen him like this and it made your belly tingle. 

Agent Bonn came bursting into the bunk room and you quickly raised a finger to your lips to indicate him to be silent. He looked at Wufei and shot you an apologetic smile. “Sorry… We’re gonna play some card games to pass the time. Wanna join us?”

“Sure,” you said softly while checking your watch. It was almost time for Wufei to wake up anyway, as he had to take over piloting from Duo. “I’ll be right there.”

“Cool!” Agent Bonn grinned and left the room, the door closing behind him. 

You got up and closed your book, dropping it onto the bunk mattress. You moved to the other side of the aisle and listened if you could hear someone walk by outside. Except for the hum of the engines, there was nothing to be heard. You leaned in and brushed your lips over Wufei’s cheek.

“’Fei… Baby, wake up.”

He grunted and shifted and you quickly slanted your mouth over his to kiss him awake. You heard the change in his breathing and then he was kissing you back, his hand coming up to grasp at your hair. You smiled against his lips and watched as he opened his eyes.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Waking you up,” you said innocently, before gently tugging at his bottom lip with your teeth. 

He growled and used his hold on your hair to pull you closer, his mouth firmly pressing against yours in a deep kiss. You could practically taste the anticipation on his tongue. The mission was on his mind, his body restless, making him a little aggressive. You noticed how his hips shifted and were very tempted to find out how tense his body was underneath his clothes. 

But you couldn’t. Not with the other agents around, not with the mission so close by. You couldn’t afford the distraction. You’d have to wait. 

You broke the kiss and smiled down at him. His hand left your hair and caressed over your cheek.

“I want you to be careful when we go out there,” he said.

“Same to you,” you said softly. 

His lips twitched into that small smile you loved so much. “I promise.”

You leaned in and brushed a chaste kiss over his lips. “I love you.”

His gaze softened, the intensity in his eyes warming. “I love you too.”

“Good. Now, on your feet, Soldier.” You moved away and gave him a grin. “Duo is waiting.”

“Right.”

-x-x-x-

Chengdu was humid and foggy and it was raining by the time the shuttle docked at the local Preventer base. You helped the other agents haul the weaponry out of the shuttle and into the hangar. You weren’t that tired after the flight, but Wufei ordered everyone to get a few hours of rest. Once the evening fell your team would fly per chopper to the area where Devlin was hiding out. 

You met the back-up team, a group of lethal looking local men. They were six in total and showed a baffling amount of respect for Wufei. It made you wonder just how far headquarters’ influence reached. But as you walked away, you caught one of the men giving you an appreciative look. You heard him whispering to his colleagues. You caught the word _‘làmèi’_ and nearly gave an amused snort. You caught yourself just in time because you saw Wufei throw a deadly glare into the man’s direction. 

“What are you laughing about?” Wufei chastised you as fell in step behind you. “It’s unprofessional behavior.”

“Right, and you’re one to talk,” you shot back. “He was just complimenting me.”

His glare nearly burned a hole in your back. You could feel the weight of his stare and chuckled. 

“You know more Mandarin than you let on,” he grumbled.

“Not much more than you taught me,” you said. You reached the room that had your name tag taped to it and gave him a smile. “See you later.”

You slept for a few hours and then got up to take a shower. You dressed with care in the cargo pants, combat boots, and T-shirt Preventers provided for missions. You fixed you hair up in a low bun, making sure it would not get in the way and pulled a cap over it. The Kevlar vest followed next. You secured it, making sure it was still comfortable to move around in, before pulling your Preventer jacket on over it. 

You secured the holster with the .45 and extra clips of bullets to your belt, before setting out to find the others. They were meeting up in the hangar. Wufei was leaning over a table, discussing something with the local agents. 

“Hey,” you said as you reached them. 

Wufei looked up at you. “We’re just discussing the drop off point.”

“How far away from the target it is?”

“Two kilometers. We’ll have to walk if we don’t want to get picked up before we reach them,” Wufei said. 

“No sweat,” you said casually.

You glanced around the hangar, noticing the two heavily armed choppers that stood waiting outside. It was still raining, but that might actually give you some form of cover. Vision was less clear in rainy weather and the sound of it would mask the noise of the choppers. You wandered over towards Duo, who was checking the munition and selected an automatic weapon for yourself. Duo handed you extra clips of munition, which you stuffed into the side pockets of the cargo pants.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah.” You grinned at him. 

The prospect of the mission had your blood thrumming. You couldn’t wait to go out there. 

“Here.” Duo handed you an earpiece and you secured it quickly. “They’re connected through the data network. We’ve got a secure line to communicate through.”

“Alright.”

Your team gathered up around the table for the final instructions. Wufei took the lead, dividing the team in two. The research team would remain behind to be your ears and eyes through the computer room on the base. The rest of the team was divided over the two choppers. You walked over to the one you had been assigned to and hopped in. One of the local agents would fly it as he knew the area the best. 

Wufei sat down in the seat opposite you. He had also pulled a cap over his head, his hair streaming down his back in a loose pony tail. He looked so damn good you nearly swallowed your tongue. The intense and heated look in his eyes didn’t help either. The rest of the agents poured into the chopper and soon the chopper took flight. You watched as Wufei inspected his automatic weapon, his hands moving over the gun easily with practiced precision. It had been so long since you had seen him like this and reminder made you feel warm all over.

You couldn’t believe you were really doing this. Three years ago you had never thought you’d go on another mission, but here you were and it felt damn satisfying. Your stomach churned with tension. Time to get Devlin. That asshole was going down. You’d make sure of it. 

“Drop off point in sight,” the pilot announced over the communication link. “Commencing operation.”

You got ready to jump out of the chopper and landed softly on the balls of your feet in an open space in the woods. Rain drizzled steadily and you were glad for the cap as it protected your eyes from the onslaught. The team gathered and then moved into cover of the trees. The local agents took the lead and led you through the forest. You jogged beside Wufei, the automatic weapon at the ready. Duo and his team were right behind you. 

The agents pulled up short at the edge of the forest. Through the threes you could make out the silhouette of the old power plant in the fading daylight. 

“Divide,” Wufei ordered quickly.

You moved with him, taking the right flank of the building, while Duo and his team covered the left flank. The power plant was eerily silent, but there were signs that told you people recently had used it. There were visible footprints in the mud, as well as tire tracks that led to the central building that was your main target. 

“Wufei, up ahead,” you said quietly as you spotted guards on the roof of the building. 

You took cover behind the building that stood alongside the main one. Wufei peered around the corner. “Three guards. Duo, do you have them in sight?”

“Affirmative,” came Duo’s voice through the comm link. “Shen, can you take them out?”

The local agent sounded confident as he confirmed through the comm link. “I can.”

“Do it,” Wufei ordered.

“Roger.”

Shen took the guards out easily, and you couldn’t even hear the gun with silencer as he aimed and fired. One by one the guards dropped down. 

“Move.”

You clicked off the safety of the automatic gun and set after Wufei, your eyes darting around frantically as you moved in on the main building. Your heart was beating fast, adrenaline coursing through your veins. There were no guards at the door. Was Devlin that confident, you wondered. The other agents met you from the other side. Wufei and Duo inched along the double doors and you aimed your weapon at the entrance, ready to shoot as soon as the doors were open. Wufei signaled everyone to be ready. You raised your weapon, looking along the barrel, your aim steady. 

Duo and Wufei slammed their shoulders into the doors, and they swung open. 

“Move!” you ordered, surging forward. 

Agents flanked you as you moved inside the building. There were guards in the hallway, and shouts filled the air as they warned their comrades. Your weapons took them out easily. The team divided, one half moving up to clear the upper floors, while you, Wufei, Duo and the remaining local agents moved in for the basement. You had to reload your weapon by the time you made it to the staircase that led down to it.

“-Y/N-! Back us up,” Duo said before following Wufei down the staircase.

“Roger!” You slammed the new clip of bullets into the gun and followed a few steps behind them, keeping a clear view of the stair case. 

Shen was behind you, and the other two agents remained at the top of the stairs, waiting for your signal. The hallways downstairs were empty. You heard the gunfire upstairs, the shouts from the guards, and through the comm link the conversation that the agents kept up with the team back at the base.

“He has to know we’re here,” you said.

“All floors cleared. We’re proceeding towards the basement now.”

“Roger,” Wufei confirmed. 

You signaled the agents at the top of the stairs and they quickly made their way down. 

Wufei mentioned you over. “Cover me.”

“Got you.” You moved behind him. 

There were several doors, all of them open, and you moved from one to another, doing quick sweeps of the rooms to assure they were empty. 

Your heart started beating faster as you made your way to the end of the hallway. There was only one door left. There was only one thin barrier between you and your enemy. 

The last door was closed. Duo moved around you and signaled Wufei. You steeled yourself as they moved, took aim, and kicked down the door. The wood tore right off the hinges and landed on the ground with a loud thud. You barely heard the gun shots that took out the guards flanking Devlin.

You glared down the barrel of you gun, right into Devlin’s eyes. 

“Hello -Y/N-,” he greeted you almost jovially. “And I see you brought Agent Chang along with you. How nice.”

You moved into the room steadily, flanked by Wufei and Duo. The other agents remained in the hallway, their guns aimed at Devlin as well. 

“You’re under arrest,” you announced.

“Tsk. Not before a lovely family reunion.” Devlin took a step sideways, revealing a man tied to a chair behind him.

You instantly froze as recognition flashed. And with it came years of hurt and anger. “Dad?”

Your father gazed at you with wide eyes. Fear was evident, but there was also shock at your appearance. “-Y/N-?”

“You’re a sick bastard,” you told Devlin.

He chuckled. “Is that so?”

He reached behind him and pulled two guns from his waistband and aimed one of them at your father’s head. You narrowed your eyes when he aimed the second gun in Wufei’s direction. Wufei remained calm, his weapon steady, but you knew he was ready to strike.

“Hostage confirmed,” Duo whispered into the com link. 

“There are two men in your life and both have betrayed you at some point,” Devlin said with a smirk. His gaze was cold as it bored into yours. “You get to choose which one lives.”

You glared at him. “Fuck you.”

How dare he bring your father into this? You hadn’t seen him in years and had done your utmost best to forget he even existed. And now Devlin was confronting you with him again. 

“Your father or your lover? Which one will it be?”

“I can’t get a clear shot,” Duo muttered. 

Devlin clicked the safeties off. “Tick, tock, -Y/N-.”

“This is between you and me, Devlin,” you said, while trying to keep the anger out of your voice. “You think you can hurt the people I care about, but that only makes me more determined to put a fucking bullet between your eyes.”

He laughed. “Tough talk.”

Your stomach dropped when you saw how he lowered the gun aimed at your father and pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed loudly in the confinements of the room. Your father cried out as the bullet bored into his arm.

It was all the distraction Wufei needed. “Clear shot.”

“Get him, Baby.” It no longer mattered if the other agents found out about you and Wufei. Devlin had outed you anyway.

Wufei fired two shots, neatly shooting both guns from Devlin’s hands. You pounced on him the next moment. 

“You fucking bastard,” you hissed at him, as you dug your knee into his back. “You’re done.”

Duo was next to you, aiming his gun at Devlin’s head, while you secured Devlin’s arms behind his back with zip ties. Devlin was laughing, despite that he was in pain and bleeding from his wounds. “This isn’t over yet.”

“It is,” you told him. “You’re going to a maximum security prison for the rest of your miserable life. What do you think of solitary confinement?” 

Devlin started cursing and tried to get out of your grasp. Shen and one of the other agents came to drag him out of the room. Duo made quick work of your father’s bonds and then dug around for a bandage to stifle the blood flow. 

“We’ll need you to come along,” you told your father in a cool tone. “We’ll take you to the base for your statement and medical attention, and then you can go.”

He was silent and you suspected he was going into shock. “Get him out of here, Duo.”

“As soon as I can,” he promised. 

The other agents were sweeping the building again, taking account of the deaths and keeping contact with the base to make sure the bodies would be taken care of. You heard them communicate on explosives that they found. You took a deep breath and turned towards Wufei.

“Are you alright?” he asked you. 

“Yeah…” You gave him a faint smile. “It feels nice to finally be free of him.”

Wufei gave you a nod. “Yeah…”

“We should go,” you said, while moving toward the hallway. 

“-Y/N-…” You halted when Wufei grabbed your arm. 

Before you had a chance to blink, he had yanked you back towards him. He pulled off your cap and leaned in. Your eyes widened when his mouth took possession of yours. His arm slipped around your waist and you shook yourself out of your stupor, your eyes drifting shut as you kissed him back. You wrapped your arms around his neck and shuddered when he deepened the kiss. 

“Let’s go,” you told him with a small smile when you pulled back from the kiss. His eyes were dark, their look intense and heated. It sent a shiver down your spine. “I want to go home.”

He gave you a slight smile and nodded. He handed you back your cap and took your hand. Duo and your father were nowhere in sight. Together you left the building and made way for the choppers that stood waiting. A third chopper had arrived with agents that would take care of the bodies and the explosives. You steeled yourself when you saw that your father was flying back in the same chopper as you. You got in and leaned back against your seat. Shen gave you a thumps up.

“Great job out there,” he said through the comm link. 

You gave him a smile. You looked out through the open hatch, enjoying the scenery. Now that the mission was over, you finally had time to appreciate it. You looked at Wufei and found him gazing at you. His eyes still carried that look from earlier and you felt heat settle in the pit of your stomach. _Not good_ , you thought desperately. Not good at all. How were you supposed to fly back to Brussels without jumping him if he kept on looking at you like that? It suddenly was him being risky. You bit down on your bottom lip when he tore his gaze away from you. 

Back at the base, a medic busied himself with treating your father’s and Devlin’s wounds. Devlin was secured in a cell. The research team went to take your father’s statement and you were glad you didn’t have to deal with him. 

“Debrief in one hour,” Wufei announced. “Commander Une will join in through video conference.”

“Yes, Sir!”

The team went their separate ways and you went back to your room. You were all too aware of Wufei’s smoldering gaze on your back as you walked down the hallway. You leaned back against the door after closing it and took a deep breath. 

You wanted him. Badly. And you no longer wanted to wait. 

You quickly collected your bag and slipped out into the hallway again. It was deserted, and you heard the other agents laugh in the common area. You quietly made your way to Wufei´s room and tested the door knob. The door opened quietly, causing you to smile in triumph, and you slipped inside the room.

You heard the shower run in the adjoining bathroom. Just perfect… You undressed in the dark, before quietly opening the bathroom door. The room was filled with steam, and through the glass door you could make out Wufei’s form. You bit your lip as you moved in, your gaze never leaving the shower cubicle. He stood with his hands pressed against the wall, the stream of water pouring down his back. Muscles moved under his skin when he leaned his head back under the spray. He only noticed you when you opened the door and slipped inside.

He pounced immediately, his hand shackling around your wrist. “What are you doing here?”

You noticed the impressive erection he was sporting and gave him a wicked smile as you leaned in. “What do you think?”

His eyes flashed darkly, but he stepped away from you. “Get out.”

Oh, but he shouldn’t have looked at you in that way. You followed him, your hands grasping onto strong shoulders as you pressed him back against the tiles. You leaned in and nipped along the corded muscles of his neck. Your tongue darted out to catch droplets of water and you sighed against his skin. The need to control this encounter drove you to keep him firmly pressed against the wall. This was your turn to tease and you’d make full use of it. 

You brought your mouth up to his ear so you could speak to him in a low, seductive tone. “It’s your own fault.”

His head lolled back against the tiles, but his voice carried a clear warning. “-Y/N, I’m serious. Get out now.”

“Do you really want me to?” you asked him, while slipping your hand down his chest.

He didn’t answer you and hissed when your fingers caressed along his abs, and down. You wrapped your hand around his erection and bit your lip as you felt the weight of it in your hands. His body was so tense, coiled tight with need, and your belly tightened in anticipation. The mission was still on his mind, adrenaline sharpening his senses, and yours. 

“Keep on standing,” you told him with a grin. 

You pressed your lips against his collar bone and started kissing your way down his body. You noticed how he balled his hands into fists at his sides, but he made no move to stop you. He wanted this just as much as you did, but rules and regulations told him not to give in. You coaxed and teased him. It was only fair as he had nearly driven you insane a few times already.

The feeling of his skin beneath your mouth was addicting and his scent even more so. The texture and the taste… God you couldn’t get enough. You could spend hours tracing your tongue along his abs, and that tantalizing V-line that ran down from his hips. But you didn’t have that time, you reminded yourself. You darted a look up at his face and found him looking at you, his eyes heavy lidded, his cheeks flushed with need. God, he was so alluring like this. The adrenaline from the mission made you both so needy, and that was precisely why you had acted on it. This had been your final mission together. You’d never get another chance like this. 

You firmly grasped his hips and opened your mouth to take in the tip of his erection. He groaned, his head rolling back, and his hands buried themselves in your hair. He surrendered and that made it all the sweeter. You slid your hands around his hips to caress over the firm curve of his buttocks as you slowly moved over him. You relaxed your throat and took him in deep before drawing back to slide your tongue around the crown of his manhood, eliciting a throaty moan from him.

The tiles bit into your knees, but you didn’t care as the thought of having this proud man at your mercy like this drove you on. You curled your fingers around the base of his erection, caressing over the part your mouth couldn’t reach, as you took your time to drive him to his undoing. His chest heaved with his breathing, muscles flexed under his skin as he fought to control himself. Your own need moved to the background. This was about him and you showing him you could handle it when he lost control. You knew that was what held him back. After that first time he had been very careful not to show that side of him again. But now you wanted it, craved it. 

You reached for his hand with your free one and pulled it away from your hair, entwining your fingers with his to squeeze it gently. It was a silent way of communication, telling him it was alright if he slipped. 

Gradually, you could tell he was giving in, but he didn’t relax under your onslaught. His body was too tightly coiled, his thighs trembling, a clear sign he was close to orgasm. You grasped his hips again, firmly pressing him back against the wall and moved over him deliberately. 

Your name left his lips in a warning and with it came a sweet feeling of victory. The next moment the sticky heat of his release filled your mouth. You didn’t pull back and swallowed all he had to offer, making him groan deep in his throat. You didn’t pull back until he was completely sated and brushed chaste kisses over his hip bone. 

His legs gave out beneath him and he slipped down to the ground, breathing harshly as he fought to come down from his high. His heavy lidded gaze met yours, and you were quick to crawl into his lap and slipped your arms around his neck. You rested your forehead against his and shivered when his hand came up to grasp your chin. His thump slid over your bottom lip, his eyes darkening with remembrance as he gazed at your mouth. 

You opened your mouth and gently bit down on his thump, a wicked look in your eyes. He slipped his hand around your neck and pulled you closer, his mouth slanting over yours.

He firmly kept you pressed against him and deepened the kiss, a shiver racking his body when he tasted his own passion on your tongue. His free hand caressed over you thigh, and up, finding the place where you burned for him. You moaned into his mouth when he slipped his fingers inside you. He was as purposeful as you had been in bringing you to the pinnacle and soon you came apart in his arms with a muffled cry. 

You rested your forehead against his shoulder and chuckled. “I sure do love corrupting you.”

He snorted. “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy about you,” you murmured as you gazed up at him with a smile. 

He leaned in for a tender kiss and you sighed happily. Perfect… Even more so because now that threat of Devlin was gone, you were free to do whatever you wanted. You couldn’t wait to get home. 

You got up and grinned when he rose to his feet as well. It was quite an empowering thought that you had made him collapse. You stepped under the spray of water and smiled when he stepped up behind you and slipped his arms around your waist. He pressed a kiss against your temple.

“We should hurry up,” he murmured. “I promised I’d take you to the river side, remember?”

“Right…” You gave him a curious look. “What is there to see?”

“I’m not telling you yet,” he said. “But I think you’ll like it.”

You pouted, and chuckled when he turned off the water, handing you the towel that he intended to use for himself. 

“I left my own towel on the bed,” you told him.

“I’ll go and get it.”

You gazed after him with a longing look. He took a while to return, and when he did, your towel was wrapped around his waist. You stepped out of the cubicle and walked passed him to get dressed. The post mission haze started to fade and with it came the familiar fatigue. You had been working hard for weeks and now that you could let go, the trainings and the mission took their toll on your body. You braided your hair but didn’t bother with any make-up. Wufei came walking back into the room, fully dressed as well. He was rubbing his hair with the towel and tossed it your way when he was done. He swiftly pulled his hair up in a bun on the back of head. 

“I’ll check the hallway,” he told you.

You nearly giggled at the fact that you were sneaking around and quietly left the room when he signaled you that the coast was clear. You quickly dumped your bag and then headed to the common area. You got yourself a bottle of water and plopped down on one of the sofas. You still had about fifteen minutes left until the debriefing, so you settled back to relax a little bit. 

“-Y/N-?”

You opened your eyes and willed yourself not to feel anything as you turned your gaze to look at your father. He was standing in front of you, his arm bandaged up and in a sling. 

“What do you want?” you asked him.

“I think it’s time we had a talk.”

“Is it now?” you murmured. “After eight years you suddenly want to talk?”

He took a seat on the chair opposite you and leaned forward to rest his good hand on your shoulder. “I know I haven’t been there for you.”

You snorted. “That’s an understatement.”

“How have you been doing?”

“More than okay without you in my life,” you bit out. “I had almost forgotten you even existed.”

He sighed. “How is your mother?”

You glared at him and got up. “Fuck off, Dad. Go back to your girlfriend or whatever you call her these days.”

You walked out of the common area and encountered Duo in the hallway. The concerned look in his eyes told you he had heard the exchange of words between you and your father. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll be outside to get some fresh air. Call me when the debrief starts,” you said. 

You stepped outside and took a deep breath. Fuck. You had thought you were over this. You fought the urge to wail with frustration and paced up and down in front of the entrance. You were glad when your cellphone rang, and were on your way to the debrief the next instant.

After the debrief, you felt much calmer, but your heart was heavy. Wufei noticed when he led you to the jeep that he had secured for your trip to the river side.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as he drove off the Preventer base.

You sighed. “My father tried to talk to me.”

He had always known that your father had left your mother when you had been sixteen, but you had never told him why or how bad the situation had been. Or how much it had hurt. 

Wufei reached out and rested his hand on your thigh. “Do you want to talk about it?”

You bit your lip and contemplated where to start. 

“You know he left us, right? I was sixteen and one day he just told us he would go to live with his new girlfriend. Just out of the fucking blue. Who does that?” Your frustration was evident in your voice as you spoke. “My mom was devastated and I always wondered why we were not good enough for him to stay. My mom and I… We kinda fell apart too because of it. He never contacted me after he had left. Not once. And now I save his ass and he suddenly wants to talk?!?”

“Maybe seeing you reminded him of his responsibilities,” Wufei said. 

You shook your head. “I don’t want him in my life. I was not important enough for him to look after then, so he won’t get to do it now.”

He took your hand and brought it up to his mouth to kiss your fingers. “But don’t you want to know?”

You shook your head and looked at him. In the darkness, his eyes met yours for a brief moment. When he focused on the road again you spoke up. “I’ve got you and that’s more than I could have hoped for.”

You saw how he tried to contain his smile and tightened your fingers around his. You were glad he had taken you away from the base. It was already way past midnight, and despite the fact that you were tired, it was perfect. Just the two of you. After the weeks at Leopoldsburg and the mission you didn’t need anything else. 

You reached the riverside and squinted into the darkness. Lights illuminated a flat piece of ground along the edge of the water. Your eyes widened. “’Fei…”

“Come on,” he said while getting out of the car.

You quickly opened the door and got out as well, grabbing onto Wufei’s hand as you reached him. In the darkness, you carefully sought your way down, your amazement growing with each step closer to the ruins of the gigantic machine. When you reached it, you halted and gazed up at it in awe. The remains were scarred and blackened and pieces lay scattered around it. But you could still recognize it. In a circle of lights, the jagged remains of Gundam Altron rose in an eerie echo of the past. 

You turned your head to look at Wufei and smiled when you saw the look on his face. Some mixture of melancholy and longing. 

“Do you miss piloting it?” you asked him.

“Sometimes,” he said. 

“It’s kinda cool that they installed the lights around it,” you murmured as you gazed at the ruins of his Gundam again. 

“I thought it was unnecessary,” he said.

You shrugged. “I don’t think it is. This is an important reminder of the past.”

You stepped forward until you reached one of the machine’s gigantic feet. You placed your hand against the cold metal and stared up. It was a touchable reminder of the war and of Wufei’s past. It was so special that he had taken you here. You wandered around it, wondering how Wufei had managed to handle it at the age of fifteen. It must have been an amazing kick to be in control of such a powerful weapon. Mobile suits were no longer in use, so the academy hadn’t offered any classes on mobile suit piloting. You figured it wouldn’t compare to piloting a shuttle. Not in the slightest.

One of the Gundam’s arms lay haphazardly on the ground, partially buried in the soil. There were other bits and pieces scattered. One of its legs looked like it might nog hold much longer. Gundanium alloy was the strongest kind of metal out there, but after the destruction and ten years of being beaten by the elements, the first signs of rust were starting to show. 

You made your way back around and found Wufei staring up at the machine’s open cockpit. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets and he looked deep in thought. 

“What are you thinking about?” you asked him when you reached him.

His gaze settled on you and he gave you a small smile. “What it means that I brought you here.”

You slipped your arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. “It’s special.”

“It is,” he agreed quietly, while nuzzling your hair. “I like seeing you two together. My past, my present, and my future all in one.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words and you felt warm all over. Words clogged in your throat and you found yourself unable to speak. You tugged him down for a kiss because that was the only way you could show him how you felt. One of his arms slipped around your waist to pull you against him, while the other grabbed hold of your hair to angle your head so he could deepen the kiss. You clung to him for support, overwhelmed with your feelings for him. 

He gave you a small smile when he pulled back. “I love you.”

You caressed his cheek and smiled back at him. “I love you too.”

He slipped his arm around your shoulders. “Let’s go back and catch some sleep before we have to leave.”

“Yeah…” you murmured. “Thanks for taking me here, ‘Fei.”

“Don’t mention it.”

-x-x-x-

With a lazy murmur you buried deeper into the mattress, the sheets tangled hopelessly around your naked body. Your limbs felt heavy and you couldn’t find it in you to open your eyes. But your cellphone kept ringing on the nightstand.

You grumbled and clumsily reached for it. “Hello?”

“Baby Girl, it’s me!”

“Ugh… I was sleeping.”

“Time to get up. Let’s meet in the park for a work out.”

You stretched languidly and groaned. “No. Sorry. Got a date today.”

“Oh, I see.” Jay chuckled. “Tomorrow then?”

“Hmm… Sure…” You buried your face in the pillow, your eyes drifting shut when a warm, callused hand came to rest on the small of your back. “Talk to you later, ‘kay?”

“Sure thing. Text me what time you wanna meet up, okay?”

Lips caressed over your shoulder in a lazy manner and you had trouble focusing in the conversation. It only got worse when that hand slid down to your ass. 

“Yeah. Bye Jay.” You hung up and arched into Wufei’s touch, a pleasured sigh escaping you. “Hmm… Morning, ‘Fei.”

“Good morning.” His teeth playfully caught your earlobe. “Slept well?”

“Hmm…” You wiggled under him and smiled when he slipped his arm around your waist, forcing you to roll onto your side. 

His mouth was on your neck, teasing over your skin with feather light caresses. His hand splayed wide over your stomach, possessive and very intent in its pursuit when he slid it down between your legs. 

A gasp escaped you. Even after days of lazing around in bed and making love, your body still burned for him, still reacted so easily to his seduction. This time was no exception and you gave in without a second thought. The hard planes of his body were now familiar and you knew every sensitive spot, had explored thoroughly. You couldn’t get enough of him and it was clear he couldn’t get enough of you either. You could wake up in his arms every day and it still wouldn’t be enough… you’d always crave him. 

Two hours later you hoisted yourself onto the counter in his kitchen and enjoyed a large mug of tea. The shower was still running in the bathroom, but you knew Wufei would join you soon enough. He had explicitly told you not to have breakfast as he would take you out to get in on the way. The weather was nice enough for that promised drive on his motorcycle. 

The shower turned off and ten minutes later he came walking into the kitchen, clad in black biker jeans and a white long sleeved shirt. His hair was loose and droplets of water still clung to the black locks. He poured himself a cup of coffee and came to stand between your legs. He grasped your chin and kissed you. You wrapped your arm around his neck and smiled at him. Appreciation flashed in his eyes when he took in the way you looked.

“What?” you asked him with a grin.

“Nothing.” He sipped his coffee. “I almost forgot what you can look like with make-up on.”

You swatted his arm and laughed. At the base you hadn’t bothered with make-up and in the past you had worn it minimally. It wasn’t until you had started working for Relena that you had taken interest in it and had learned to enjoy pampering yourself. And you clearly remembered that day when Wufei had first kissed you. It had been the first time he had seen you groomed to perfection like that and it had made him look at you twice. As if he hadn’t realized before that you were an attractive woman.

But he had. He just hadn’t allowed himself to act on it until that day.

“So…” you drawled. “Where are you taking me today?”

“I thought we’d drive to Liège to visit your mother,” he said.

That prospect made your stomach drop. “Oh.”

“You don’t want to go?” he asked.

You bit your lip. “I do… I just don’t know how to tell her about my father…”

He cupped your cheek. “Are you afraid it might hurt her?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then don’t tell her now, but do it later.” He pressed a kiss against your lips. “Today is supposed to be a good one.”

“You’re right.” You nuzzled his cheek.

“And tomorrow you’re planning to meet up with Jay?” he asked, remembering the phone conversation from earlier.

“Yeah… You should join us,” you told him. “We’ll go to the park for a street work out. You should ask Duo to join us and maybe Heero too. It’ll be fun.”

His interest seemed piqued. “I’ll call them tonight.”

“Cool.” You shot him a grin and pushed him back, jumping off the counter as you did so. “Let’s go.”

-x-x-x-

After a week of relaxation, you were expected back at HQ. You had spent all your free time at Wufei’s place, simply enjoying being with him. But today, you had to return to work. And after the work day you were planning to head back to your own apartment. 

You didn’t like the prospect of sleeping alone, but you felt like you needed to develop a new rhythm. You had spent every waking minute in Wufei’s company since he had become your bodyguard and although you thoroughly enjoyed being around him, you felt like a bit of distance was needed. You had had a life before him and you didn’t want to lose it because of your love for him. You firmly believed relationships were about two individuals and that each one should keep their own identity. You didn’t want to depend on Wufei so much that you lost yourself in him, that you forgot your own person. 

You walked into HQ at nine AM sharp and took the elevator up to Commander Une’s office. You had a meeting with her to discuss which position you would take within Preventer. Her secretary greeted you as you stepped out.

“Good morning, Agent -L/N-. Would you like coffee or tea?”

“Good morning. Coffee, please,” you said with a smile. “Can I go in?”

“Right away. I’ll bring your coffee to you.”

“Thank you.” 

You knocked on the open door to Commander Une’s office. She looked up from her computer screen and smiled at you.

“Agent -L/N-.”

It felt so good to be called Agent again that it brought a smile to your face. “Ma’am.”

“Have a seat.”

You took the chair on the other side of her desk. The secretary came to bring your coffee and then discreetly retreated from the room, closing the door behind her.

“How have you been?”

Your smile widened. “Good.”

“I take it that smile has everything to do with Agent Chang,” Une said casually.

You chuckled and leaned back in your chair. “You can say that.”

“I will meet with him later today. I expect you both to be discreet about your relationship.”

“You can count on it,” you promised her.

“Good… Now, I want to discuss a position within Preventer with you.” She gave you a smile. 

Your heart started beating faster and anticipation settled in your stomach. 

“The evaluation reports I received told me that you have followed extensive martial arts training the past few years,” Une said, her tone sounding appreciative. 

“That is correct,” you said. “I’ve been trained in Korean martial arts by a friend.”

“But you have never taken part in any tournaments?”

“No, but I am at black belt level in Taekwondo.”

“Impressive… I thought we’d make good use of those skills.”

You gave her a curious look. Une grabbed a folder from the corner of her desk and opened it, taking out a pile of papers. 

“In an attempt to get more L5 citizens interested in joining Preventer, we have set up a program that will hopefully have more people from that area take part in this organization,” Une explained. “Given the fact that Agent Chang trained you in the past, combined with your current level of skills, I think you will be a wonderful asset in training the new recruits.”

Your interest was definitely piqued and you took the papers from her. 

“You will be promoted to the rank of Captain before you take this position on the local base.”

Wait a second. “Local?”

“Yes… This program will give the new recruits the opportunity to train locally at L5 for one year. You’ll be in charge of selecting the best recruits to take back with you to HQ. You will leave after Christmas.”

Your stomach dropped as you saw your idea of a future with Wufei vanish into thin air. All color drained from your face. “You’re sending me away.”

“For only one year. Think of this as an opportunity, Agent -L/N-. If you prove yourself, you will be promoted to the rank of Major upon your return and you’ll be able to take on the position of instructor here at HQ,” Une said. “You were a really good agent and you proved how well you were still able to handle a mission three years after your dismissal. I didn’t like letting you go back then, however necessary it might have been.”

Your chin wobbled. “You’re sending me away because of Wufei…”

“Agent Chang is one of my most trusted agents and I will not have anyone question his position within my Agency,” Une stated firmly. “If you accept this position, he’ll no longer outrank you when you come back.”

You swallowed thickly and met her gaze. “I… I have to think about this.”

“I understand, but I expect an answer by tomorrow morning.”

You nodded and got up. You took the papers with you as you left her office. Dumbstruck, you stepped into the elevator. It was too much to take in all at once. How where you supposed to do this? Be without Wufei for a whole damn year after you had just found each other? And if you didn’t take the position… what was left at Preventer for you? Probably nothing…

Your eyes were burning by the time you barged into Wufei’s office. He looked up from the report he had been reviewing, his eyes narrowing when he took in the state you were in. You slammed the door shut and dumped the papers on his desk.

“She is sending me away!”

Wufei took the papers and looked over them quickly. 

“I should have fucking known!” You paced up and down his office, frustration apparent in your movements. “One whole year at L5 training new recruits.”

As soon as you said that, Wufei got up. He moved around his desk and grabbed your arms, making you halt your pacing. “These papers state that you’ll be promoted twice if you do it.”

“Yes, but what am I gonna do, ‘Fei?” you questioned. The first tear spilled down your cheek. “I don’t want to leave you.”

A small smile came to play over his face. “I’ll still be here when you return.”

You swallowed thickly and looked at your feet. “A year is a long time.”

He cupped your cheek and made you meet his gaze again. You knew your conflicting emotions were reflected in your eyes. You knew this was a tremendous opportunity and that Une didn’t offer this position to just anyone. She had selected you because you were the best Agent for the job. But was it worth it?

“Take the position, -Y/N-,” Wufei told you. 

Your heart broke and you fought the sob that threatened to escape you. Wufei pulled you into his arms and buried his face in your hair.

“You can do this,” he told you. “And when you come back I’ll be here. I promise.”

You grasped onto his shirt and rested your head against his shoulder. “I don’t want to be without you.”

“You can call me every day.” He pressed a kiss against your temple. “Do it. I’m serious. You deserve this chance.”

His trust in you nearly brought you to your knees. What had you ever done to deserve this man? You slipped your arms around his waist and held on for dear life. He cupped your cheeks and made you look at him. 

“We’ll figure this out, okay?”

You nodded and pulled him closer for a kiss. 

“Good. Now get to work. We’re expected to turn in the report on the mission today.”

You gave him a watery smile. “Thank you, Wufei.”

“For what?”

“For believing in me.” 

You turned around and left his office. You didn’t see how his shoulders slumped as soon as you were out of sight.

-x-x-x-

The next few weeks were all about your preparation for your departure to L5. You acquired the necessary papers for your travel and after endless discussions and arguments with Wufei on the matter, gave up your apartment. He, Jay, Duo, and even Heero came to help you pack and move everything into storage. 

Any plan you had about a little distance was effectively killed. But it no longer mattered, because you would create a shit ton of distance the next year and now were determined to spend every free minute you had in Wufei’s company.

You followed courses and trainings that prepared you for the instructor’s position and spent the afternoons in the Preventer gym where Wufei taught you so many traditional Wushu techniques that it dazed you. In the evenings you poured over books as he (impatiently) tried to teach you some Mandarin. 

“It would be so much easier if they spoke Kanto,” you groused as you once again failed to pronounce something right.. 

He gave you a haughty look down his nose. “Don’t insult my language.”

You grumbled and rested your forehead on top of your arms. “I give up. I’m never learning this.”

“It’s not that hard.”

“Forgive me for not sharing your gift for languages,” you complained. “Or your fucking brilliant brain for that matter. Jeez.”

He chuckled and leaned over the table to kiss your temple. “You’ll need to practice more.”

“No more…” You gave him a pleading look. “My head is so full of information, Wushu, and all the fucking details I have to remember…”

He ran a hand through your hair. “Alright. No more for tonight.”

You leaned into his touch and sighed. “I do appreciate you helping me,” you felt compelled to say. “But everything is a bit too much today.”

He demonstratively closed the textbook. “Come on.”

You cuddled up against him on the couch and sighed. In less than three weeks you would leave. You were so not ready to let go of him yet, but you had to. 

“I was thinking…” he said suddenly. “You’re entitled to vacation, so why don’t you come back for three weeks during the summer?”

A smile spread on your face. “That would be nice. Will you take time off then too?”

“Of course.” He pressed a kiss against your forehead. “We could go someplace…”

“Hmm…” You tightened your grip on him. “’Fei?”

“Yes?”

“I’m really going to miss you,” you said softly, while looking up at him. 

He leaned in for a tender kiss. “I’m going to miss you too.”

-x-x-x-

You took a deep breath as you approached the gate, taking your last steps on Earth. It felt surreal. Your heart was heavy, but you could do this. You reached the attendant at the gate and handed over your passport and ticket. Wufei hadn’t dropped you off at the Spaceport. You had said goodbye at his apartment, after a round of desperate love making that still made your belly tingle when you thought back on it. You had made him promise you not to come to the Spaceport, because it would be too hard for you to walk away from him like that. But now that you were standing in front of the gate, you wished you had been able to see him one last time. 

The attendant handed you back your ticket and passport. “Enjoy your flight.”

“Thank you.” You hoisted your bag onto your shoulder and prepared to step into the jet bridge.

“-Y/N-!”

You stopped dead in your tracks, not sure if you had heard it correctly. You looked over your shoulder, your eyes widening when you saw that Wufei was running in your direction. “’Fei…”

Your heart leaped in your chest with joy that the sight of him and you were crossing the remaining distance the next moment. You launched yourself at him and threw your arms around his neck, pressing your face into his shoulder. His arms were tightly wrapped around you, his face buried in your hair.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I promised, but…”

“It’s okay…” you managed to choke out. “I’m so glad you’re here after all.”

He cupped your cheeks and made you look at him. “I won’t let you go that easily.”

The pain reflected in his obsidian eyes nearly made your knees buckle. Suddenly you realized that he had put on a strong front the past few weeks. Your departure was just as painful to him as it was to you. 

“Wufei…”

He kissed you, his hands cradling your face almost reverently. You clung to him, desperate for the contact. He kept his forehead pressed against yours when he broke the kiss, his eyes squeezed shut. When he had control over himself again, he opened his eyes and gave you a small smile. 

“I had to see you one last time,” he said. 

You felt tears burn in your eyes and were unable to stop them as they cascaded down your cheeks. “Wait for me…”

“I promise,” he whispered. “If you promise me something in return.”

“Anything…”

“Anything?” he echoed, his smile widening.

You nodded and gave him a watery smile in return. “Yes.”

He took a step back and took your hand in his. Your breath clogged in your throat when he sank to one knee in front of you. “Marry me when you get back.”

You hand came up to press over your mouth as you gazed at him in astonishment. Your heart was beating fast, too fast… Oh god… 

“My first marriage was arranged and I always vowed to myself that if I ever married again, it would be a woman of my own choosing. One who I loved and who would be my equal in every way,” he said earnestly. “I would be honored if you’d choose me as well.”

“I…” You were completely stupefied, caught off guard by his proposal. 

He gave you a grin. “Just say yes, Woman.”

“Yes,” you managed to breathe. “Yes… Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

You dropped to your knees and wrapped your arms around him, pressing your mouth against him in a deep and desperate kiss. He chuckled at your enthusiasm and you couldn’t help but laugh as well. Despite all the pain, your heart was so full of joy as well. You buried your face into his shoulder, but he made you look at him again. 

“I meant it, that night when we visited the remains of Nataku. You’re my present and my future.” He handed you a small velvet covered box. “Open it.”

You did so and gasped at the sight of the diamond encrusted ring. “Oh god… I’m gonna faint, I think.”

“No, you’re not,” he told you with a laugh. He took the box from you and took out the ring. He grabbed your hand and slid the ring around your finger. “This is my promise to you.”

You cupped his cheek and smiled at him. “I love you, Wufei Chang.”

“And I love you.” He leaned his forehead against yours again. “Good luck out there.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Your mouth met his in one last, tender kiss. “I’ll call you when I arrive, okay?”

He nodded. Together, you got up from the floor and he reached to smooth your hair. You smiled at him, but tears burned in your eyes once more. 

“I have to go.”

“Have a safe flight.”

You leaned in and kissed him once more. “Bye…”

You quickly turned around and made your way back to the jet bridge. You didn’t look back until you were halfway down the walkway. He was still standing there, his hand stuffed into his pockets. He smiled at you. You smiled back at him, before continuing your way. 

Once you were seated, you raised your hand to your face, the light catching on the diamonds and making them sparkle. A promise indeed… He had given you hope and a purpose. You’d work through this year and return to earth. And then it was forever… 

**\- End part 5 -**


	6. Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The final part! I hope you’ll like it! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing, its characters, or you.

**The dream is still alive  
Part 6**

_Preventer Base, L5 Colony C508, AC 206_

You watched with satisfaction as your rookies went through the routine again. This was starting to look promising. Already, after almost five months of training them, you had set your eyes on at least five recruits that you were planning to take back to Brussels with you. 

“Good,” you complimented them. “Now, two laps around the assault course. Give it your best.”

There were groans of protest, but the group set course for the starting point. 

“No whining!” you called after them in warning. 

“Yes, Ma’am!”

You strolled after them in a more leisured pace, fishing the stopwatch out of your pocket. You knew you were pushing them, but only the best would be selected. And the best had to show how badly they wanted this job. 

It was more fun to train recruits than you had anticipated. You felt in charge and considered it a personal success that they picked up the training so well. There had been a few drop outs in the first two months, but the numbers hadn’t dwindled down since then. You had been brutal the first two months. You had to be. If these agents wanted to come to Brussels they would be confronted with Commander Une herself. If you could make the agents go weak in the knees, she sure as hell would make them faint. No, you needed the strongest Agents, the ones that didn’t back down. 

Agents that Wufei could rely on once he send them out into the field.

Thinking of Wufei made you sigh. You missed him. The base provided enough work to distract you during the day, but the evenings and nights were lonely. It was harder than you had first thought it to be. Daily emails and phone calls weren’t enough. Just a few more weeks, you told yourself. You couldn’t wait to go back to Earth for three weeks. 

The recruits took to the assault course in pairs of two, and you noted down their times, complimenting them when they finished. 

“Good job, Mei,” you said when one of the female recruits came to check her time. She had finished three seconds faster than the last time you had timed her. She gave a satisfied grin when she saw for herself. 

“Nice…” she whispered to herself. “These extra exercises you gave me are really paying off.”

You smiled at her. “I told you they would.”

You noticed how her gaze strayed, and appreciation flashed in her eyes. You saw that several other agents seemed distracted as well. They were all gazing in the same direction.

“What is it?” you asked, while turning around to follow their line of vision.

The stopwatch and clipboard tumbled from your hands as your eyes widened in shock, a hand coming up to cover your mouth. You never permitted yourself to show too much emotion around the recruits, but now you just couldn’t help it. This couldn’t be possible! You blinked and checked again. 

Standing next to the gate that gave access to the assault course was Wufei. He was dressed in civilian clothes, black jeans and a grey T-shirt, his hair partially up in a bun while the rest tumbled over his shoulders and back. He was here… What was he doing here? 

Even from the distance you could see the warmth in his gaze. Tears burned in your eyes and then you moved. You took a step, and then another, and then broke out in a run. You didn’t give a damn about protocol as you threw yourself at him - he was wearing civilian clothes after all - and locked your arms around his neck. You buried your face in his shoulder and sobbed, holding on tightly. 

“Shh…”He nuzzled your hair, pressed kisses against your temple and forehead. 

“Wufei…” you breathed. “I…”

His scent washed over you and you realized once again how much you had missed him. His fingers hooked around your chin, making you look at him. There was a small smile on his face. Tears cascaded down your cheeks and you were quick to pull him down, your lips meeting his in a desperate kiss. Behind you, the recruits catcalled, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Wufei was here, real and solid in your arms. It was all that mattered. 

“What are you doing here?” you asked him, once you had pulled back from the kiss.

He gave you a small smile. “I thought I’d surprise you.”

You laughed and buried your face in his shoulder, basking his in scent and the warmth of his body. Some of your recruits were still catcalling and making kissing noises. Wufei regarded them over your shoulder with amusement.

“So this bunch is of misfits is supposed to be so promising?” he asked you.

You turned around in his embrace and pressed your cheek against his. “Yeah.”

He chuckled. “Are you done for the day?”

You checked your watch. “I can let them go a little earlier today.”

Wufei pressed his lips against your cheek. “Good. I’ve missed you.”

You met his gaze and smiled. “I’ve missed you too.”

“Hey Captain!” One of the young men called out to you. “Can we go?” 

You grinned at him. “Class dismissed.”

They whooped and piled into the building, back to their rooms. You watched them go and chuckled. “Where we ever like that?”

Wufei scrunched up is nose. “I never went to the academy and I if I remember correctly your file stated you were never eager to leave early.”

“How long are you going to stay here?”

He slipped his arm around your shoulders as you slowly started to make your way back to the building, picking up your clipboard and stopwatch on the way. 

“Three weeks,” he said.

“Huh?” You gaped at him.

“I took my vacation early. I’ll be here for three weeks and fly back to Earth with you, and we’ll be together for another three weeks over there.”

A smile formed on your face. Six weeks together? That sounded absolutely wonderful. 

“I figured we got a lot to plan.”

“Plan?” you asked absentmindedly, as your mind was still busy trying to wrap around the idea of six weeks together.

He grinned. “Our wedding?”

“Our… Right. Wait, already?” You blinked at him. 

He grabbed you around the waist and pulled you against him. “Yes, Woman. When I said _‘Marry me when you get back’,_ I meant _‘when you get back’_.”

You slipped your arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “Full of plans I see.”

“You agreed,” he pointed out with a smug smirk.

“Hmm…” You stole a kiss from him. “We’ll figure it out. After all, we got six weeks.”

After a quick shower, you left the base on foot, walking the short distance to the downtown area. Wufei seemed pleased to notice you knew the way around as you let him into a narrow street filled with tiny bars and restaurants. The smells of the food made your stomach grumble. 

“I always go and eat here when I get the chance,” you told him as you slipped into one of the boots of a noodle restaurant.

“Is the food at the base that bad?”

You shook your head and chuckled. “No. I just like it better here. And I always make sure to skip out of cooking for myself.”

He shook his head in amusement. “I’m not even going to try and teach you.”

“You tried before,” you remembered with a chuckle. 

“You nearly destroyed my kitchen.”

“I did not!” you protested vehemently. 

He chuckled and reached across the table to grasp your chin. “I’ll make you a deal.”

You rested your elbows on the table and leaned in, your nose nearly brushing his. “Enlighten me.”

“If you do the laundry, I’ll do the cooking.”

You grinned. “I’ll think about it.”

The waiter came to take your orders and you settled back in your chair, gazing at him with a fond look in your eyes. He looked good, you noted. His face was tanned so he obviously spent a lot of time outdoors. His hair had grown longer still. He looked relaxed, and happy to see you. 

You gave him a warm smile. “So any news?”

“Jay says hi.”

You grinned. “You’ve been working out with him?”

He gave a nod. “We go to the park a lot.”

You gave a wistful sigh at the thought. “Nice.”

“Duo got promoted last week.” Wufei reached for his glass of water and took a sip. “He’s still not shutting up about it.”

“Is he gonna continue with fieldwork?” you asked.

“For now yes. I still got to figure out a new position for him.”

“Preferably one where he doesn’t drive you crazy,” you said with a chuckle.

He rolled his eyes. “I can barely tolerate him now. I can only imagine how things will go if he gains command of his own team.”

You could imagine a lot of temper tantrums on both sides. Duo and Wufei were good friends, but their characters were so utterly different that they often clashed. With Wufei’s clear cut view on what was wrong and right, and Duo’s knack for stretching and bending the rules to fit to his liking, it was a miracle they managed to get through the day without killing each other. It still surprised you they had gotten through the colony tour without bloodshed the previous year. 

The waiter dropped two steaming bowls of noodles on your table and you dug in quickly. 

“When Jay was here he taught a master class to the recruits,” you said. “Now that you’re here, you can give one too.”

“I’m on vacation,” he reminded you with a smirk.

You gave him a cheeky grin. “Not eager to test your new agents?”

“I’d rather test you,” he countered smoothly. “Did that grandmaster teach you anything new?”

“Not telling. You’ll find out.”

Three weeks after your arrival you had run into an old man who turned out to be a Wushu grandmaster. Eager to learn more, you had asked him to train you and you had implemented your gained knowledge in the training of the recruits. It was so different from what Jay had taught you. It had become so much easier to understand Wufei too. The way of the warrior had become clear and with it, an inner peace that you embraced.

You finished your dinner, then trailed after Wufei as he led you to the hotel he was staying at. You could practically feel the tension rise between the two of you as he led you through the lobby and into the elevator. Anticipation settled in your gut and you could feel the heat of his stare as he stood behind you. Your eyes drifted shut when he reached out, swept your hair aside, and skimmed his fingers along the back of your neck. A shiver ran down your spine. You were so aware of him, your body swaying in his direction. His hand settled on the small of your back as you walked out of the elevator.

He opened the door to his room and held the door open for you. You stepped inside and turned towards him, your hands reaching out to yank him closer to you. The spark of desire was so strong it nearly brought you to your knees. It was a wonder you had managed not to behave like a hormonal teenage girl during dinner, but now… All semblance of control was lost. 

He met your hungry mouth with his own, his hand slipping into your hair so he could angle your head to deepen the kiss. A moan escaped you when his tongue brushed along yours, luring you into a seductive dance, while his hands slid down your sides to your hips. Your body awakened, fire blazing in your blood, your heart thundering in your ribcage. His scent… oh Lord. How you had missed it. And the feeling of those strong muscles underneath his shirt. You tugged on the fabric, pulling it up and he broke the kiss to pull if over his head. Appreciative fingers slid over his abs, dipped in the ridges between them, making him groan when you teasingly trailed a path from his belly button to the waistband of his jeans. You pressed your mouth against his chest, reveling in the soft skin under your lips and the taste of him on your tongue. 

“’Fei…” you murmured against his skin. “I need you.”

His grip on your hips tightened and he was quick to lift you up. You wrapped your legs around his waist as he carried you over to the bed and lowered you down on it. You squirmed underneath him, toeing off your shoes, before you yanked him onto the bed and rolled with him. You ended up in his lap, your mouth hungrily devouring his. 

The force of your passion nearly left you incoherent. You had not expected him to show up here, so to have him in your arms earlier than expected messed up any shred of control you had. Violent shivers racked your body when he slid his hands under your shirt, caressing over your back.

He yanked the fabric up and you were quick to pull your shirt over your head. He froze and his breath hitched. You smiled when you realized what made him stop. There, resting between your breasts on a delicate chain was his ring. 

“You’re wearing it,” he breathed, while reaching out to touch it.

“Of course I am,” you said softly.

There was an almost reverent look in his eyes when he raised his eyes to look at you. He cupped your cheek and pulled you in for a kiss that made your toes curl. 

Clothes ended hazardously around the room as you undressed each other. There was too much need to slow down. You rose above him, pushing him back onto the mattress and sank down on him. A keening sound escaped you as he filled you, your head rolling back as pleasure shot through you with lightning speed. His hands grabbed your hips, guiding you in your rhythm as you moved above him. You rode him and watched his face until those obsidian pools went blind. His back arched, his hips coming up to press against you. Only then did you allow yourself to fall. Your orgasm ripped through you, stars exploding behind your closed eyelids. And as you fell over that trembling edge, you took him with you. 

You lay sprawled on top of him afterwards, utterly content not to move another inch. His hands caressed over your back in a lazy manner that nearly made you purr like a cat.

“Not that I’m complaining,” you murmured. “But what made you change your mind about the whole vacation thing?”

He took hold of a lock of your hair and wound it around his finger. “It was actually your mother’s suggestion.”

You lifted your head from his chest and gazed at him in surprise. “My mother’s?”

He gave you an amused smile. “Are you surprised about me having contact with your mother?”

You gave a shrug. “She hasn’t been very nice to you.”

“She changed her opinion about me after I proposed to you.” He gave you a look that told you that fact very much pleased him. 

It very much pleased you as well. It made you very happy to know that Wufei and your mother were on good terms. You leaned in and pressed a kiss against his lips. 

“So, how did that came to be?”

“Apparently Agent Brand is a snitch and told her where I live. She showed up out of the blue one day and pretty much interrogated me.”

“Hmm…” You grinned at him. “Bet she wanted to know everything about how you’re going to make me happy for the rest of my life. I guess traveling here was a good start.”

He gave you a fond look and cupped your cheek. “I love you.”

It felt so damn good to hear those words in person again and not over the phone. You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch, a content sigh escaping you. When you opened your eyes again, they were drenched.

“I love you too,” you told him. 

He pulled you down and kissed you. It was lazy and sensual and send your desire stirring again. It wasn’t before long that he rolled you onto your back.

-x-x-x-

You grumbled and clumsily reached for your phone, turning off the alarm. Your mind was still hazy with sleep and your body wonderfully warm. It was still early, the colony still in its night cycle. But you had to get up and head back to the base. With a sleepy sigh, you rolled over.

Wufei was watching you, a content look on his face. 

“Why are you not sleeping?” you asked him.

He reached out and trailed his fingers over your jaw. “I was watching you.”

“Hmm…” You smiled and snuggled up against him. “Why?”

He pressed a kiss against your forehead. “I missed being able to look at you.”

You gazed up at him with a fond look in your eyes. “I missed this too. Looking at you, being able to touch… the scent of you. Being here without you is harder than I thought it would be.”

He took your hand and entwined his fingers with yours. “It was hard letting you go. But I know it’s worth it.”

“Yeah…” you agreed quietly.

After this, life in Brussels awaited you. 

“I have to get up,” you murmured, your tone tinted with regret.

“I could stop by for lunch today.”

You smiled. “Sure. There is some place I have to go after I finish today,” you told him, your tone turning a bit shy. “Do you want to go with me?”

He gave you a small smile. “The orphanage?”

You nodded. “Yes.”

“Of course.”

The fact that he didn’t hesitate made you feel at ease. The orphanage, coincidentally the same one that you had visited during the colony tour a year ago, held a special place in your heart. You loved going there to sit and play with the children. Helping out as a volunteer made you feel like you contributed to the community. 

You leaned in to kiss him and then slipped out of bed. 

You spent the day drilling your recruits, effectively killing any of their teasing about Wufei showing up the day before. By the time you were done with them their cheeks were flushed with their efforts. Wufei showed up with lunch, and afterwards you showed him around the base. You tried to coax him into a sparring session, but he didn’t take the bait. Afterwards, he left you to fill in the reports you kept on the recruits. The afternoon dragged by and you were glad when you could finally leave your office.

You took care with dressing and your make-up, and were rewarded with an appreciative smile from Wufei when he came to pick you up. The orphanage was within walking distance of the base, so you enjoyed the fine weather and your fiancé’s company. 

There were children playing outside on the square in front of the orphanage. You smiled at the sight of them, and at one little boy in particular. One of the older children was chasing him around the perimeter, making him shout with laughter. But as soon as he caught sight of you, he came running your way. 

“Māma!”

You chuckled and scooped him up. “You really have to stop calling me that.”

“No…” the little boy squirmed to hug you, wrapping his arms around your neck.

You nuzzled his hair and sighed contently. “Hello Jimmy.”

“Hello,” he greeted you back with a mischievous smile. His dark brown gaze shifted to Wufei and you wondered if he would recognize him. Jimmy grinned and stretched out his arms. “You carry me.”

Just like the last time, Wufei looked a tad uncomfortable, but he did reach out and lifted Jimmy out of your arms. You gave him a warm smile over the boy’s head and continued on to the entrance of the building. 

“He speaks some English now,” you told Wufei. “I read him stories and he picks up the language easily.”

You gave a look over your shoulder and smiled at the sight of them. They looked so wonderful together that a forbidden longing stirred in your heart. Jimmy was whispering into Wufei’s ear, no doubt in Mandarin, because that language still came easiest for him. Wufei’s gaze met yours and you quickly averted your eyes, afraid he would see. 

You quickly walked into the play room and made your way to one of the shelves containing books. You frowned when you didn’t find the story book you had been reading to Jimmy on the shelf. 

“Jimmy? Where is your book?” you asked, making sure to speak slowly and clearly. 

The boy pointed to the low table in the corner. “There!”

You went to retrieve the book and lifted the boy out of Wufei’s arms. You settled on the cough and opened the book. Jimmy made himself comfortable in your lap and grinned at Wufei when he sat down next to you, draping his arm over your shoulders. 

You spent the time until dinner reading to the little boy, who pointed excitedly at the colorful pictures. You often made him repeat words, complimenting him when he managed to pronounce them right. When one of the caretakers came to pick him up, you pressed a noisy kiss against his cheek, making him giggle and squirm. 

“Off you go,” you told him. 

“Come back soon?”

“Saturday,” you promised him. 

“Okay!” He hugged you, and then scrambled into Wufei’s lap to hug him as well. “Bye!”

You chuckled as you watched him go, a soft look in your eyes. You knew you couldn’t hide it when you turned to look at Wufei. “Let’s go.”

You were silent on the way to the hotel, a little lost in your own heart. You knew Wufei would ask questions, and you didn’t know if you were prepared to answer them. As soon as the door closed behind him, he spoke up.

“You want him.”

You swallowed thickly, preparing to deny his words. “What are you talking about?”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “You’re a fool, Woman. Don’t think you can hide it from me.”

You shook your head. “What I want doesn’t matter. I have to be realistic.”

He approached you and grabbed your arms. “Realistic? You want to be his mother. I could see it plain as day.”

“Wufei…” You took a step back, because you really had to keep your head clear. “You weren’t supposed to see.”

“Then what? You wanted to come back to Earth without him?”

“Yes!” You said vehemently, with more force than you meant to. “I can’t be his mother. Jesus, we’re not even married yet and…”

“And what?” he snapped. “You think I don’t want children?”

You froze and gazed at him with wide, stunned eyes. “Y-you…”

He shook his head and pulled you towards him, a tender look in his eyes. “Idiot,” he said affectionately. “You should have told me.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Your fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt and you pressed your face against his shoulder to hide your expression from him. 

He nuzzled your hair and sighed. “What am I to do with you?”

“I didn’t think you’d understand,” you said meekly. “I kept thinking about how we haven’t even lived together, how we both have careers to think of.”

He cupped your cheeks and made you look at him. “None of that is important, -Y/N-.”

You swallowed thickly as you met his eyes. “Sometimes it still baffles me how much you have changed. And you’re right. I should have told you.”

He gave you a small smile and pressed a tender kiss against your lips. “I fell in love with you when I saw you holding him that first time. I told you that, didn’t I?”

You smiled at him as tears filled your vision. “You did.”

“To see you smile like that… It made me wonder how I could have been so stupid to break your heart,” he said softly. “It made me wonder why I hadn’t seen what was right in front of me those years ago. So if you want to be Jimmy’s mother, we’ll go and start the adoption procedure tomorrow.” He kissed your temple and held you. “I think he deserves it too.”

You sobbed and buried your face into his chest, his heartfelt words your undoing. You wrapped your arms around his waist and held on tightly, too overcome with emotions to manage anything but a strangled “Thank you”.

There was so much joy in your heart that you felt like you were floating. You felt like you could take on the world, anything as long as Wufei was with you. 

“We’re crazy,” you said. “How the hell are we supposed to plan our wedding and adopt a child at the same time?”

He chuckled. “Well, it does solve the problem of finding a ring bearer.”

You laughed and reached up to slip your arms around his neck. “We’ll do a fine job driving each other crazy.”

He smirked at you and leaned in for a kiss. “Somehow I like that idea very much.”

-x-x-x-

Mountains of paperwork followed. There were so many forms to fill in, background checks, financial checks, interviews with social workers… And the sudden requirement to buy a house. As much as you loved Wufei´s penthouse, you knew you couldn’t bring Jimmy there. He needed room to run around, a playground close by. 

“What a clusterfuck,” you balked as Wufei dragged you into the noodle restaurant. “Buy a fucking house, out of the blue. How?”

“We’ll go and look for one next week,” Wufei said, while plopping down one of the chairs. “Don’t worry. We have time.”

“Time? My mom has planned visits to bridal shops and cake tastings. Dinners with her friends so she can show me off and gloat about the fact that she’ll be a grandmother in less than six months without me losing my figure.” You groaned and hid your face behind the menu. “I’m still trying to figure out how to skip out.”

“You’ll go,” Wufei said with a laugh. 

“Probably,” you agreed with a sigh. 

It was Wufei’s final week on L5. During the weekend you’d fly back to Earth together. You had three weeks to shop for a wedding dress and plan your wedding (thank God, your mother was overly enthusiastic and planning to practically arrange the whole thing), and buy a house and convince the social workers that you had everything in order. 

“I’m sleeping at the base tonight,” you told him. “I suddenly feel like surprising my recruits with a call during the night.”

“Cruel, Captain. Very Cruel.”

“If I don’t make them pee their pants, you sure will.” You scanned the menu and gave him a conspiratory grin. “A little discipline doesn’t hurt anybody.”

“You’re good at what you do,” he said, and the compliment pleased you immensely. “If I am to believe your reports they’ll be valuable assets to HQ.”

“They work hard,” you said thoughtfully. “But I expect them to. Otherwise they won’t be ready for whatever work you’ll assign them to.”

He reached across the table and took your hand in his. “I’ll let you go tonight.”

You leaned in. “The condition being?”

“We’ll spar tomorrow.”

Your pursed your lips as you thought about it. Then you smirked at him. “Deal.”

You enjoyed dinner with him, and afterwards dragged him into an alley for a goodnight kiss before heading back to the base. You could still feel his heated stare on your back as you rounded the corner and smirked to yourself. He once again didn’t know what he was up against. You liked the thought of surprising him with your skills once more. You whistled to yourself as you entered the base and made your way to your room. You took a shower, set your alarm, and promptly fell asleep. 

It was during the middle of the night that you woke up from scuffling sounds outside your room. You grumbled and turned over on your other side, preparing to go back to sleep. You were wide awake the next instant as the door to your room suddenly flew open.

Your shot upright, your heart beating a mile a minute, and slapped the light switch. “Jesus bloody Christ! What the fuck?”

Two of your recruits stumbled into the room, slumping to the floor together and looking utterly miserable. Behind them in the door opening stood Wufei, eyes blazing with fury.

“I caught these two in a bar,” he said, his voice dripping acid, as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “They were drunk and very loud, making lewd comments about you.”

You raised your eyebrow and regarded the two young men cowering next to your bed. “I see.”

“I thought I’d bring them back to you, so you could see to their punishment.”

You threw off the covers and stepped out of bed, crossing your arms in front of your chest. “Hmm…”

“We’re truly sorry, Captain,” one of them men said, while shamefully bowing his head. 

They looked so young, sitting together on the floor like that. You could easily understand their need to rebel a bit, and now their shame at having been caught. 

“I will not allow anyone to make such remarks about the woman I am to marry,” Wufei snapped behind them.

Both recruits ducked their heads. “We’re sorry, Sir!”

“As you should be,” you said. “Off to bed, both of you. I’ll deal with you in the morning.”

They scrambled up and scurried out of your room. Wufei stood seething as they closed the door on their way out. 

“You’re letting them go?”

“For now,” you said as you moved to get back into bed. 

“I can’t believe it!” His fist slammed against the wall, and you raised an eyebrow at his barely controlled outrage. “You have no idea what they said about you.”

“Do I need to remind you that you weren’t much better at their age?” you deadpanned.

He snarled, his eyes narrowing into angry slits. “Don’t compare me to them. I never talked about you behind your back.”

“Maybe not, but you made a point of insulting me in front of other people whenever you had the chance,” you reminded him.

He pressed his lips together in a thin line and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He stood glowering in silence, and you approached him with a sigh.

“Let’s not fight about this,” you said as you grasped his arms. “Let me deal with them as I see fit.”

“Alright,” he grumbled, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease.

You took his hand and reached for the door. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” he asked as you led him down the hallway. 

“You need to blow off some steam,” you told him as you pulled him with you. You reached the gym and opened one of the lockers in the corner, throwing a pair of sweatpants and a shirt in his direction. “Get changed.”

You walked into the dressing room and opened your personal locker there, quickly changing the shorts and top you had worn to bed for a pair of comfortable sweats and a tank top with a Preventer logo on the front. You wandered out again, barefoot, and made your way to the dojo in the corner. 

Wufei came walking into the room as well, the look on his face still grim. 

You bit your lip as he approached you. “Still want to test me?”

The fire in his eyes sparked again, but this time it wasn’t anger. It was determination.

You didn’t give him time to warm up and launched yourself at him, going for a spinning kick to his stomach. You blocked his blow to your head with your arm and quickly danced out of his reach. Excitement settled in your stomach as you worked yourself into a sweat. Your muscles burned with your effort, but you didn’t stop. It was too much fun to surprise him with moves and combinations he knew, but hadn’t known you to be familiar with. Locks of hair had escaped their confinement and stuck to his forehead and cheeks, his eyes were narrowed with concentration, and a dark V had appeared on the front of the shirt you had given him. Neither of you was backing down, and both of you had to work to stay ahead. 

You were unaware of the time that passed or of the growing group of recruits along the edge of the dojo or their looks of admiration. It wasn’t every day that their instructor showed her true knowledge in the middle of the night and with a partner that could match it. 

Wufei came at you with a flying kick, but you were quick to duck and rolled away, quickly getting up to block the kick he aimed at your back as soon as he landed. The blow landed against your shoulder, and your straining muscles protested. You grimaced as the pain radiated to your arm. You quickly pulled back, and turned so you faced him again, kicking out towards his knee. 

He managed to grab hold of your ankle. You knew you had lost when he twisted and used the momentum to launch you up. 

You smacked against the mat and lay gasping for breath. 

“Enough,” Wufei said. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“No, damn it,” you ground out and pushed yourself up. 

“Fair’s fair,” he said as he helped you up. “Last time you won, this time I did.”

You rolled your eyes and sighed, then stopped dead in your tracks as you caught sight of your recruits. “Oh Hell.”

Wufei chuckled. 

“What are you all staring at?” you demanded of them. “Go back to your rooms.”

“Sorry, Ma’am,” one of the girls said. “I saw you when I was on my way to the bathroom and called in the others because I thought we could learn something from watching you.”

You tried a smile, but it turned into a grimace when you reached up for massage your sore shoulder. “Oh well… I guess you’re right. On that thought…”

You scanned the group and noticed the two men Wufei had dragged in earlier were missing. “Someone get recruits Shon and Fan for me. They don’t want to miss this.”

Mei scurried off and later on returned, while scolding at the two bleary eyed young men that stumbled into the gym. 

“Time for punishment,” you whispered to Wufei. 

He snorted and made himself scarce, leaning back against the wall as you addressed your rookies. 

“How nice of you to join us, Gentlemen.”

The two recruits shifted uncomfortably. 

“Earlier tonight, Recruits Shon and Fan went out to a bar,” you told the group. They all fell silent in shock and stared at the two men. “They got drunk and made comments about me. Now, not only is this against the rules, they were also so stupid to do it in front of Major Chang, here.”

Now, gasps of shock filled the room as all recruits turned to stare at Wufei with levels of respect, awe, and fear. Apparently his ruthless reputation had reached even them and that made you feel proud. You directed a smile in Wufei’s direction and found him glowering at the two men, whose cheeks had turned red with shame. 

“Moral of the story: don’t do stupid shit when one of your superiors might catch or overhear you. Preventer is a respected organization with a long arm and I need all of you to meet the high standard set. Is that clear?”

A mumbled “Yes Ma’am” followed.

You approached the group. “If you don’t meet my expectations, you’re out. I can only take the best of you with me to Brussels, because Major Chang’s expectations are even harder to meet.”

You turned towards Shon and Fan. “And you two probably blew your chances.”

They looked up at you with shock in their gazes. You crossed your arms in front of your chest and glared at them. “How the hell am I supposed to send you to Brussels now?”

“We’ll work hard,” Shon promised.

“Good. Time will tell if it is enough.”

Deciding not further humiliate them, you dismissed the group and sighed when they were finally out of the room. “Well, the idea of doing a call is in the gutter.”

“Most of them are obviously eager to learn.” Wufei reached for you and probed at your shoulder. “I hurt you.”

“It’s just strained, that’s all,” you assured him. 

“Go take a shower and let me look at it later.” He pressed a kiss against your temple. 

“Hmm...” You turned around and wrapped your arms around his waist. “What about you? Feel better?”

He gave you a smile and tucked your head under his chin. “Yes.”

-x-x-x-

“Mom!” you balked as your mother dragged you into a café. “I really have to get back.”

“Wufei can wait a little longer,” she said sternly. “We just got your dress and I want to celebrate.”

You smiled at her and caved with a sigh. “Alright.”

“Good.” She grinned at you and steered you in the direction of a free table by the window. “Now, did you get to look at the pictures of the locations that I gave you?”

You sat down at the table and nodded. “Yeah… We like Château Bayard. It’s not too grand but romantic anyway.”

Her face lit up. “I secretly hoped you would choose it. It was my favorite.”

A waitress came to take your order and quickly left to fix your cappuccinos. 

“We’re gonna go there this weekend to check it out,” you said. “I want to have a feeling of the place to see if it will match what we had in mind.”

“Good idea.” Your mother nodded her approval. “I guess we can set up the guest list before you leave?”

“Yeah… We’ve selected the layout for the invitation too.”

“I guess then all that is left is to hope for good weather.”

You winked at her. “Maybe there will be snow.”

She grimaced. “Good heavens, no.”

“It will make for fabulous pictures,” you told her. “I can just imagine Wufei looking all gorgeous in his suit…”

The waitress came to bring your coffee and you sipped contently. The warm and happy look in your eyes turned your mother’s misty. 

“Just look at you,” she said while reaching across the table to pat your hand. “So happy. And thanks to a man I always thought you’d kill at some point.”

You snorted with laughter. “I still think about it sometimes.”

“It’s good to see that hasn’t changed. It will keep him on edge.” She gave you a conspiratory grin. 

“Hmm… Just yesterday I was ready to strangle him. He insisted I burned the soup.” 

“Which you most likely did. I wonder what I did wrong in that aspect.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. 

You grumbled into your cup. “We bid on that house in Ixelles. We’ll probably hear if we got it or not today.”

“Oh! Oh, that’s wonderful! It’s such a beautiful place!”

“Hmm...” You smiled and nodded. You could just imagine yourself living there, in the charming neighborhood with the park close by. 

You finished your coffee and got up. “I really have to go.”

“Right. Let me know what came out of the bid, okay?”

You kissed her cheek. “Sure thing.”

You left the café and hurried to the parking garage, eager to get back home. 

You were humming to yourself as you stuck your key into the lock to open the door. Wufei’s Preventer jacket was on the coat rack, so he had to be home already. You practically danced into the living room and froze when you saw him sitting on the cough with a bewildered look on his face. He had loosened his tie, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone, an indication that he had just gotten home before you and hadn’t been able to change yet. You noticed the phone in his hand and gave him a questioning look. 

“’Fei?”

“I just got a call,” he managed. “From the adoption agency.”

Your heart leaped into your throat and you were quick to approach him. “And?”

“The adoption came through.”

“Really?!?” You nearly winced at your own shriek and threw yourself at him.

He dropped his phone and caught you as you buried your face in his shoulder, laughing and crying at the same time. He held you close and nuzzled your hair. 

“Oh my God!” you exclaimed, while pulling back to grin at him. “I can’t believe it!”

“You better do.” He grinned back at you and pulled you in for a kiss. “They accept our terms on the grounds that we manage to secure a house by the end of the year.”

You laughed and leaned in for another kiss. “This is a dream right? He’s really ours?”

The look in his eyes was warm as he reached out and cupped your cheek. “We’re parents, -Y/N-.”

The joy was so big. Your heart felt like it could burst. You lay your head against his shoulder and held on for dear life. He held onto you just as tightly.

“I’m shaking! Oh God…” And then the tears came. You turned your face into his shoulder and sobbed.

“Shh...” His hand stroked your hair soothingly. 

You could barely control your emotions. It didn’t help that he was trembling along with you. You moved to kiss him, and it was nearly desperate. He rested his forehead against yours when you pulled back from the kiss, and those near black eyes gazed at you with so much love and warmth, it was difficult to keep yourself from bursting into tears again.

“Can you imagine?” you asked. 

He smiled. “I can. You’ll make a wonderful mother.”

You bit your lip as you gazed at him. “I can’t wait to tell him. He’ll be so excited.”

“I imagine he’ll be. He chose us after all.” 

You chuckled at the memory. “Indeed he did.”

You sighed happily and buried your face in his hair. You sat in a comfortable silence for a while, until he spoke up again. “I have to start on dinner.”

“Don’t you want to change first?” you asked. “I could get started.”

“No, you’re not,” he said firmly, while getting up. “I still have to sell this place and prefer to do so with the kitchen intact.”

“I think you just broke my heart,” you whined pitifully. “My mother thinks it’s her fault I’m failing in the cooking department.”

“You have other outstanding qualities,” he said with a laugh, while making his way into the kitchen.

You grinned and fell back on the couch, wrapping your arms around yourself in giddy excitement. You’d tell your mother tomorrow. For now, the moment was for you and Wufei. You had a son. The evening couldn’t get any better.

It was after dinner that Wufei’s phone rang. You continued loading the dishwasher as he went to pick it up. You hummed to yourself as you worked, but looked up when Wufei came to lean against the counter. 

“I see,” he said into his phone. “I’ll have the papers drafted up by the bank tomorrow. Thanks for calling.”

Your eyes widened and you impatiently waited for him to finish the conversation. He grinned at you when he hung up. “They accepted our bid on the house.”

“I don’t think I can handle any more good news if this keeps up,” you told him as you wrapped your arms around his neck. 

He nuzzled your cheek before pressing a kiss against it. “I’ll make sure we can sign the papers before you head back to L5.”

“That’s a week and a half from now. How are you gonna accomplish that?”

“I’ll fix it, don’t worry.”

You smiled at him. “I guess you will.”

You leaned in for a kiss and sighed happily. A second kiss followed, and then a third. He made a noise in the back of his throat and buried his hand in your hair, yanking you closer to him as his mouth devoured yours. 

You whimpered and tightened your grip on him, desire and need flaring in your belly. Your hands made quick work of his tie and then attacked the buttons on his shirt. You broke the kiss to trail your lips along his throat, pressing needy kisses against his shoulder. 

“’Fei…” you breathed. 

He swooped your up and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he stumbled into the living room with you in his arms. He tumbled onto the couch with you and you hurried to yank him close, your teeth sinking into the skin of his shoulder. He groaned and threw back his head, hands grasping onto the fabric of your dress, yanking the fabric up until it bunched around your hips. Your breathing was erratic as you worked to undo his belt and fly, and you arched your back when you finally pushed his slacks and underwear down his hips. His mouth met yours again, his teeth tugging on your bottom lip. For a moment you were reminded of that night on L2, when he had kissed you with the same ferocity. 

There was no control, not a single shred of it and it was glorious. You cried out wantonly when he slipped your panties aside and slid inside of you. The rhythm of his hips was merciless and strong, each trust driving you closer to the brink of oblivion. The power was heady and left you shuddering, your mind shattering as need took over. Your back arched as you fell, and through the haze you heard your name leave his lips on a breathless moan. 

You lay nestled against his side on the couch, your fingers drawing lazy patterns on his stomach. A soft smile played over your lips as his hand came to caress your hair. 

“My warrior Woman,” he murmured tenderly against your forehead.

“Hmm… you called me that before,” you recalled. 

You felt him smile. “I thought you to be asleep at the time.”

“I almost was,” you said. 

You lifted your head from his chest and moved to kiss him, your lips caressing over his gently. You smiled at the sight of him. His cheeks were still flushed and his eyes heavy. He looked so beautiful it made your throat ache. 

“I found my wedding dress,” you said. 

“You did?”

“Yeah…” You trailed off as you remembered how the dress had made you feel. The flow of soft fabric had been so dreamy and whimsical. “It’s gorgeous. Perfect. And not white.”

He smirked. “If it’s red I’ll burn it.”

He wanted to stay away as far as possible from anything traditional. He had done that before and didn’t want to be reminded of it when marrying you. You hadn’t wanted a white dress, and so you had shopped from something in between. The dress you had found was a lovely warm cream color. 

“No red,” you said with a laugh. “I promised you that.”

“Hmm…” He tugged you closer for another kiss. 

You snuggled into his chest again and sighed. “A son and a house on the same day. You spoil me, ‘Fei.”

“I don’t spoil you near enough,” he said. 

“Oh, but you do.” Your smile turned cheeky. “You just did.”

Laughter rumbled in his chest and you lifted your head to watch him. Watching him laugh was such a treasure, knowing it was you that brought him joy. You leaned in to kiss that laughing mouth and playfully tugged on his bottom lip with your teeth. He buried a hand in your hair to keep you close and deepened the kiss, leaving you sighing against his lips. 

He murmured your name and nuzzled along your cheek. “You’re everything…”

-x-x-x-

“I hope you don’t mind me doing their checks,” Sally said as she followed you into your office. 

“Not at all.” You gave her a friendly smile and gestured for her to sit down. “Coffee?”

“Please.”

You went to fix two cups and sat down opposite her when you returned. “They are the best ten recruits of the program, so I want them in Brussels. The other seven I’m not sure of. They’ll be wonderful assets to the local base I’m sure, but I don’t think they’ll be cut out for field work.”

Sally took the stacks of reports and smiled. “I’ll read these and add my own findings.”

“Good.”

“So how are the wedding preparations going?”

“My mom is doing a fine job managing it. We both have so much other stuff to think of, with ‘Fei busy in the house and me trying to finalize all the details for the adoption.” You leaned back in your chair and sighed. “I miss him like crazy.”

“It’s just two more weeks until he gets here, right?” Sally asked.

“Yeah…” Your look turned wistful. “We’ll take Jimmy back to Earth together.”

Sally smiled warmly. “I never thought he’d find someone who makes him as happy as you do.”

“Oh?” you gave her a questioning look.

“He was so… tortured after the war. For a long time he considered himself too damaged to let anyone get that close to him. I tried but I wasn’t right for him. We work best as friends,” she said with a fond look. “But you… you give him everything he needs.”

You bit your lip. “He’s changed so much.”

“It took a good smack to that stubborn head of his to turn him around.” She gave you a wicked grin. 

At your questioning look she elaborated. “I came back to Brussels for a weekend three years ago and he was so difficult. So on edge. I didn’t understand what was going on and Duo sat me down and explained to me about your last mission with him and how everything went wrong after that.”

“I see…” you said thoughtfully. “So you knew I was his partner before.”

She nodded. “I scolded him for being an idiot and for letting the past still have such a hold on him. I think that opened his eyes, because after I left I heard from Duo that he was more open and seemed to be more at ease.”

“He dealt,” you agreed with a smile. “And then waltzed back into my life and nearly gave me a whiplash with his changed attitude. It still surprises me sometimes.”

Sally chuckled. “And here you are. In less than two months you’ll be his wife.”

You smiled. “Yeah… I guess I should thank you.”

“You are very welcome.” She finished her coffee and grabbed the reports. “I’ll take these to my room. See you tomorrow.”

You waved her off and chuckled to yourself in the silence of your office. Everything was starting to fall into place. Wufei would arrive in two weeks and stay with you for your final week and the finalization of Jimmy’s adoption. Then there was the trip to Earth, getting settled in the house, Christmas and New Year and your wedding in the third week of January. There was still so much to do, but it was so exciting. 

You checked your watch and got up. There was one more thing you had to do.

The graveyard was deserted. It was getting close to dusk as you approached the stone in the back, a somewhat heavy feeling in your stomach. You weren’t sure what you were doing here, but it had felt right to come to this place. You knelt down in front of the stone and reached out to touch it.

“Hello Meilan,” you said softly. 

You carefully placed the flowers you had brought with you at the bottom of the stone. 

“I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. But Wufei connects us and so I’m here...” You sought the words carefully. “I’ll be marrying him in a few weeks. He is such a wonderful man and I love him so much. He means the world to me. I hope you somehow know of the man he has become.”

You fell silent for a while and just sat by the grave. The heavy feeling in your stomach eased. “He has told me about you. About your bravery and I admire you for it. Both of you were so young. Too young to face such hardship and tragedy. It has left a mark on him, but he is so strong.”

A smile tugged on your lips. “I hope you are as proud of him as I am.”

You reached out and touched the stone again. A serene feeling washed over you. You had needed to do this. A sigh escaped you as you got up. You made a formal bow in front of the stone and then turned to leave the graveyard. 

An old man was standing at the end of the path, a curious look on his face. “It’s not every day that a stranger visits Long Meilan’s grave.”

You gave him a smile. “Her grave seems lonely. It seemed appropriate to bring her some flowers.”

The old man gave you a kind look. “That is kind of you. But she is not as lonely as she seems. She rests surrounded by members of her clan.”

You looked around the grave yard. “I see.”

“The Long clan was fierce and brave. All of them warriors of the old way. They sacrificed themselves for a noble cause. Only a lucky few are still alive today.” The old man heaved a sentimental sigh. 

“I know one of them,” you revealed carefully. “He is the bravest man I know.”

The old man smiled. “You tone tells me you care deeply for him.”

“I do…” You couldn’t stop the smile from spreading. “I will be marrying him in a few weeks.”

“Then you must be a strong and fierce warrior yourself.” He gave you an easy smile. “You must be his equal.”

Heat rose to your cheeks. “I guess…”

“Don’t be shy, Dear.” The old man patted your arm. “I wish you all the best.”

“Thank you.” You gave him a smile and then hurried past him to the exit. You had a shuttle to catch.

-x-x-x-

You heaved a sleepy sigh as you woke up and stretched, groaning as the movement made your stiff limbs protest. It was just a matter of time until you reached Earth. You opened your eyes and turned your head to look at Wufei, who was asleep in his seat next to you, Jimmy cradled against his chest. You smiled warmly and shifted in your seat so you could admire them together. Your son was fast asleep, his little hands clutching at Wufei’s sweater. 

They had bonded so easily from the moment you had gone to the orphanage together to tell Jimmy you were his parents. The boy had been ecstatic, had run around happily before launching himself at you for a fierce hug. There still had been details to take care off, but once that was all done you had left for Earth. And now you were here, just mere hours away from landing, ready to begin your life as a family. It felt so wonderful. 

You reached out to run your fingers through Jimmy’s hair. You’d be the best mother you could be to him. Your attention shifted to Wufei, and your smile widened. You leaned in to press a kiss against his cheek. 

“I love you,” you murmured. 

He shifted and reached for you. When he spoke, his voice was laced with sleep. “I love you too.”

You snuggled into him, glad for the comfortable seats that reclined. “It still feels like a wonderful dream. I’m finally coming home.”

“Hmm…” He turned his face into your hair and inhaled deeply. 

You lay in comfortable silence for a while, until a flight attendant announced the shuttle was nearing the Earth’s atmosphere.

You gently shook Jimmy’s shoulder. “Jimmy. Wake up, Sweetie. You have to look.”

Sleep brown eyes opened and regarded you with wonder. “Māma?”

“Look.” You pointed to the window. 

The boy scrambled up, enabling Wufei to put his seat upright again. The love was so fierce in your heart as you watched them together. Jimmy plastered his nose to the small window and gazed at Earth with wide eyes. In his excitement he squealed and grasped onto Wufei’s arm. Wufei was whispering to him, a small smile on his face as he steadied the boy in his lap. You quietly fished your phone out of your pocket and snapped their picture. 

You spend the next hour trying to calm Jimmy down as the shuttle broke through the earth’s atmosphere and the pressure in the cabin attacked his ears. He was crying pitifully, hiding his face in your neck as he clung to you. 

“It’s okay, Baby,” you told him soothingly. “I know it hurts but will be over soon.”

You did your best to soothe him, and gave a relieved sigh when he seemed to calm down a little. After landing, he scrambled back into Wufei’s lap so he could plaster his nose against the window again. He pointed excitedly at other shuttles at the spaceport as the shuttle taxied to the gate. 

“Welcome back to Earth, Major,” Wufei told you as the shuttle pulled to a halt. 

You grinned at him. “I almost forgot. The ceremony is next week, isn’t it?”

He nodded and handed Jimmy back to you. “I’ll get our bags.”

It was quite a challenge, trying to handle a hyper three year old and your luggage at the same time. It was something you had to learn to manage yet, but you considered yourself lucky that Jimmy didn’t run out of sight. 

“He’ll sleep like the dead tonight,” Wufei said dryly as you watched your son’s antics near the luggage belt.

You laughed and slipped your arm around his waist. “Probably.”

You managed to secure your suit cases and Wufei’s duffel bag and loaded them onto a cart. Wufei hauled Jimmy up and handed him to you. You settled the squirming boy onto your hip and pressed a noisy kiss against his cheek. 

“Come on. Time to meet Grandma.”

“Grandma?” Jimmy echoed. “Your Māma?”

“Yes.” You grinned at him and set course for the arrival hall. 

As soon as you walked through the double doors, you were greeted with cheers. Your mother pulled you in a crushing hug that set Jimmy into a fit of giggles. You felt Wufei’s hand settle on the small of your back and turned your head to smile at him. 

“Oh my God!” Your mother smiled. “Hello Jimmy. God, you’re adorable.”

“Hello.” Jimmy beamed a smile at her and stretched out his arms. “Carry me.”

Your mother scooped him out of your arms and hugged him. There was a whole group of people waiting for you. Duo, Jay, some of your recruits, and Heero and Relena. 

“Relena!” You dashed forward to hug her. “It’s so good to see you.”

She smiled at you. “You look amazing!”

“It’s so nice of you to come here,” you said warmly. 

“Of course. I had to see you and your son.” She stepped forward to playfully pinch Jimmy’s cheek. “Just as adorable as the last time I saw you.”

You chuckled. “He’ll charm everyone, I imagine.”

“I’m sure.” She grinned at you. 

Jay pulled you into a hug next. “Hey you.”

You clung to him and smiled warmly. “Hey Jay.”

There were more hugs, more greetings, more smiles. Cheers from your recruits when Wufei yanked you towards him for a kiss. And Jimmy’s excited giggling as he clambered up along Wufei’s leg like a monkey. Wufei was quick to pull him up. 

You chuckled and cupped his cheek. “It’s good to be home.”

“Yeah…”

-x-x-x-

With a sigh you sat back in the lounge chair, popping your feet up on the table in front of you. You closed your eyes and smiled, enjoying the feeling of sun rays that warmed your face. Spring was nice. The garden was in bloom with spring flowers, their subtle scent drifting towards you as you sat on the patio in grateful silence. 

You rested a hand against your belly as you felt the baby move. “Easy Sweetie. I’d like a moment of calm.”

It was just mere weeks until you would welcome your daughter into the world. You were looking forward to holding her. Jimmy had been ecstatic at the prospect of a sister. Life was so complete now. It hadn’t been easy, the first few months after your marriage. Jimmy had had some trouble adjusting to life on Earth, but things were better now. He now understood he really had to listen if you told him something, and the fits of rage and pitiful crying had eased over time and during the summer he had fully settled. You knew he missed the children from the orphanage. Although he hadn’t had parents there, the children had adored him and had taken care of him in their own way. Now that he was in school and had made some friends, he was doing a lot better. 

There was a knock on the open back door behind you and you looked over your shoulder. “Heero! What are you doing here?”

“Your mother let me in on her way out. I came to see how you’re doing.”

“Fine…” You patted your stomach and smiled at him. “Grab a drink and join me.”

“Sure.” He disappeared inside and came out again with a beer in his hand.

He sat down in the chair next to you. “Enjoying your free days?”

“There’s so much I still have to do, but it goes so slow now…” You chuckled. “Doing laundry is a horrendous task nowadays.”

Heero chuckled and sipped his beer. “I’m sorry, I can’t imagine.”

You laughed and reached for your mug of tea. “I’ll be glad when she is out.”

“Hn…” He fell silent and stared ahead of him. 

He seemed a little lost, and you couldn’t help but reach out and touch his arm. “How are you holding up?”

He shrugged. “It’s difficult, but I’ll deal.”

“Sooner or later you’ll have to talk to Relena,” you said gently. “You can’t leave things as they ended.”

The look in his eyes was a little forlorn as he looked at you. Your heart ached for him. Just a few weeks ago his relationship with Relena had fallen apart. It hadn’t been an easy relationship to start with, with Heero’s preference to stay out of the media and the tabloids that seemed determined to stalk him. The fall out had been ugly, and you had tried to be a caring friend for both Relena and Heero in the aftermath. 

“Sometimes…” He cut himself off and shook his head.

“Sometimes what?” you questioned.

He took a deep breath. “If we had… you know…”

“Oh, no.” You shook your head. “It wouldn’t have been love.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“My heart belonged to Wufei, as much as I liked to think differently then.” You shook your head. “It’s good that we didn’t get involved. It would only have complicated things.”

A small smirk came to play over his lips. “Yeah.”

“Even if you and Relena don’t get back together, you’ll have to talk to her,” you said. “She is hurting too, you know.”

“I know…” He sighed deeply. “I’ll call her later today.”

“Good.” You patted his arm.

You sat in silence for a while. Heero seemed a little more at ease. 

“Excuse me for a moment,” you grumbled as you started to get up from your seat. “I need to pee. Again.”

Heero chuckled and settled back in his chair. 

You were on your way back when you felt it. Your eyes widened and you grasped onto the door post as fluid trickled down your legs. 

“Heero!”

“What is it?” He came hurrying inside, a concerned look on his face. 

“My water just broke.”

“Already?” His eyes widened. 

You felt a jolt of panic and with it came tears. “Wufei… I need Wufei.”

“Come on.” He grabbed your hand and took you outside. “Sit down for a while. Use my phone to call him. I’ll get your bag, okay?”

“It’s in the bathroom.” You gratefully took his phone from him and looked up Wufei’s number in the list of contacts.

Wufei picked up after the second ring. “Yuy, it’s not the best time-”

“’Fei, it’s me.” 

“-Y/N-?” He immediately picked up on your urgent tone. “Is something wrong?”

“I need you to come home right now. My water just broke.” You fought to remain calm, taking deep breaths. "Please, come home.”

“What? Already?” Surprise and unease were evident in his voice. “I’m on my way. I’ll arrange a shuttle, okay?”

You nodded. “Okay. Heero is with me. We’ll go to the hospital.”

“It will be okay. I’ll be there in three hours,” he said in an assuring tone. “I’ll call your mother to let her know she has to pick up Jimmy from school.”

“Thank you.” You were grateful for his calmness and him taking action, even though he was in Madrid for a summit and couldn’t be there for you immediately. 

“I’ve got your bag,” Heero said as he came walking outside.

“Let me talk to, Heero.” Wufei told you.

“Yeah.” You held out the phone to Heero and got up. “He wants to talk to you. I´ll go and change.”

Heero took the phone from you. “Wufei.”

Heero moved inside of the house and you heard his hushed voice as he talked with your husband as you made your way upstairs. “I’ll call Une,” you heard him say. You admired his ability to stay so calm.

You tried to change as quickly as you could and then ventured downstairs again. There were no contractions yet, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t start soon. Heero was in the kitchen, still on the phone. 

“Can I…?”

Heero held out the phone to you and you quickly took it. “’Fei?”

“Yes?” He sounded a little impatient, but it wasn’t directed at you. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too. I’ll be there soon, I promise.”

You hung up and tried your best to keep your tears at bay. “Fuck. This is not going as planned.”

Heero chuckled and wrapped his arm around your shoulders. “It’s okay. I’m here and I’ll take care of you.”

“Thank you.” You tightly held onto his arm as he led you through the house and outside to his car. 

During the drive to the hospital, Heero called Relena. You gave him a questioning look, but he didn’t elaborate and just waited for her to pick up. 

“Heero?” Her voice sounded hesitant through the car kit. 

“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry to bother you, but can you come to the hospital? I’m on my way there with -Y/N-,” he got straight to the point.

“Oh God! Is she alright?”

“I’m fine!” you hurried to assure her. “The baby is coming a little earlier than expected.”

“Already?!?”

“Apparently,” you said. 

“I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“Thanks,” Heero said. 

He hung up and then called Une. 

You failed to listen to his conversation with your commander, as the first contraction started. The pain built slowly and you did your best to breathe through it. 

“You okay?” Heero asked.

“Y-yeah…” you said. “It’s not so bad yet.”

You arrived at the hospital and were brought to a room immediately. You sighed once you were able to sink down on the bed. 

“Can I get you anything?” Heero asked. 

“Maybe some tea?”

“Sure thing.” He gave your shoulder a squeeze and left the room. 

It took some time for the second contraction to hit you. Relena came rushing into your room at that exact moment and was quick to take your hand.

“Okay?” she asked once the pain had dulled.

You nodded. “Yeah…”

Heero came walking back into the room. He had his phone clutched between his shoulder and ear, and handed you your tea, before taking his phone and holding out to you. “It’s Wufei.”

You immediately grabbed the phone. “'Fei?”

“My shuttle is about to take off,” he said. “How are you holding up?”

“The contractions have started, but it’s not so bad yet.”

“Alright. I called your mother and she’ll pick up Jimmy from school and bring him to the hospital.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re the best.”

“I’ll leave my phone on during the flight, so if you need me just call me okay?”

You could tell that he was worried. He hadn’t wanted to leave you in the first place with your due date so close, but you had assured him that everything was fine. His presence at the summit had been needed and so he had gone, although reluctantly. And now everything had gone differently. 

“I’ll be fine,” you said softly. “I’m just glad you’re on your way.”

“I’m never doing this again,” he grumbled. “I should have stayed home.”

“Don’t blame yourself for this. We couldn’t know she was coming earlier.” 

“Just wait with giving birth until after my arrival, Woman.”

You laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

“Alright. I’ll call you when I land, okay?”

“Yeah… Safe flight.”

“Thanks. I’ll be there soon.”

You hung up and handed the phone back to Heero, before sipping your tea. You gave Relena a smile. “Thanks for being here.”

“You’re welcome.” She gently squeezed your arm. “And you’ll do fine.”

Two and a half hours later, Wufei burst through the door. You immediately reached for him and pressed your face into his shoulder as he came to sit on the edge of your bed. 

“You’re here,” you murmured happily. 

He kissed your forehead and caressed your hair. “How are you doing?”

“The contractions are building up,” you said. “There’s still time yet.”

He cupped your cheeks and pressed a kiss against your lips. You held on to him tightly, happy to have him in your arms again. 

“My mom took Jimmy down to the restaurant for dinner,” you said. “You should join them.”

“I won’t be leaving you now,” he protested. 

“Alright,” you conceded with a smile. 

He kissed you again, and you sighed against his lips. 

“I’ve missed you,” he murmured.

“I’ve missed you more.” You took his mouth again, because kissing him was the best distraction from the contraction that was starting to build. You broke away when the need to breathe through it came.

He caught on immediately and made you scoot forward, seating himself behind you on the bed. He wrapped you up in his arms and murmured soothing words to you as the pain intensified. He rested his hand against your belly when the pain subsided. 

“Did the doctor say anything?”

“There isn’t much to worry about as I’m nearly thirty eight weeks,” you said, while resting your head against his shoulder. “So far everything seems normal, but they’ll give her an extra check once she is born.”

“That’s good,” he breathed. 

“Yeah…” You entwined your hand with his on top of your belly. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

Exhausting hours followed, the contractions building rapidly. Your mother, Relena, and Heero took Jimmy out of the room when they became too painful for you to stay calm and collected. You were glad when the doctor finally told you it was time to start pushing. 

You gritted your teeth against the next contraction. “Fuck you, Wufei.”

He snorted with laughter. “Don’t blame me. You wanted this as much as I did.”

You hissed out a creative curse that even made the doctor raise her eyebrow. Wufei simply kissed your temple and offered you his hand. You held onto it for dear life as you focused all your energy on bringing your baby into the world. 

You collapsed back onto the bed as her shrill wails filled the room. One of the nurses was quick to lay her onto your chest. You sobbed as you held the tiny infant in your arms and gently kissed the dark tuft of hair on her head. Wufei leaned in to kiss your forehead, and you could feel him smile.

There was so much love… so strong. And then the idea came. You and Wufei had agreed on a name before, but now… it would not suit. 

“’Fei…” you breathed. “Look at her. She is so beautiful.”

“She is,” he agreed, his voice thick. 

You met his gaze and smiled at him. “She is Meilan.”

You watched as his eyes filled and reached out to cup his cheek. He turned his face into your hand and kissed your palm. “You humble me.”

“Kiss me.”

He complied and then gently pressed a kiss against the baby’s head. “Meilan Chang.”

You entwined your fingers with his and grinned at him. “Sounds perfect.”

He nodded and then turned his attention to one of the nurses who came to instruct him on how to cut the naval cord. You handed your daughter to the doctor, who quickly checked her over and then wrapped her up in a blanket. 

“She’ll be fine,” she said when she handed her to Wufei.

Your breath clogged in your throat as you watched him hold his daughter. He looked so beautiful and you were so glad he was yours. The amazement in his eyes as he looked at you made tears burn in yours. 

“Just look at you,” you said softly. 

He sat down in the chair by the bed, cradling Meilan against him. It was such a privilege to see him like this. Humbled and a proud father. 

A little while later, your mother and Jimmy were allowed into the room. You smiled at your son as he ran to his father to admire his sister.

“Wow…” he breathed in amazement. He carefully reached out and trailed a finger over Meilan’s cheek. “She’s so tiny.”

Wufei smiled at him. “Go sit with your mother so you can hold her.”

“Can I?” Jimmy looked at you with wide eyes.

You grinned and held out your arms. “Come here, Champ.”

He clambered up onto the bed and into your arms. You kissed his forehead and hugged him tightly. He laughed when your Mother came to hug you both. 

“She is beautiful,” she told you warmly. 

“She is, isn’t she?” you agreed with a smile. “We named her Meilan.”

“That’s a wonderful name.” Your mother kissed your cheek. “I’ll give you three a moment alone with her before I come back to spoil her.”

She retreated from the room and winked at you before closing the door.

“Meilan,” Jimmy echoed as he nestled against your side. 

Wufei moved and carefully lifted the baby into Jimmy’s arms. You helped your son to support his sister and kissed the top of his head. “You’ll be a good big brother to her.”

He grinned proudly. “Of course. Do I have to share my toys with her?”

Wufei chuckled and ruffled his hair. “When she grows older.”

You rested your cheek against Jimmy’s head and sighed happily. “I feel so complete right now.”

Wufei reached for your hand and brought it to his mouth so he could kiss your fingers. The warm look in his eyes told you he felt the same. Who would have thought it would come to this, you mused. But the hardship had been worth it. In the end, your bond with him was so much stronger than before. He had brought you so much joy, had given you a son and a daughter. Everything had fallen into place. 

He rose to kiss you. “I love you.”

You smiled at him and cupped his cheek. “I love you, Wufei. Always.”

**\- The End -**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Up next is Trowa’s story! You can expect the first part to be posted soon! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked reading this! Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this first part! :)


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